Nanowrimo - is there an improvement?

For me, the National November Writing Month challenge wasn't quite as challenging. Could that possibly mean I'm getting better at this? Possibly. Although I should define what "this" is. The challenge is to turn off your inner editor/critic and write a 50,000 word novel over the course of 30 days.

It's not art -- just flat-out writing (sort of typing for a purpose). This year I actually started late (Nanowrimo - Late out of the gate), but by the middle of the month, I was about 25,000 words in -- exactly where I should have been (Nanowrimo -- Rounding the outside turn). In years past it's been a challenge to get those last few thousand words out, but not this time. I easily passed the 50,000 word mark, and I still have another chapter to go!

Finishing up the story feels like taking a victory lap after the race. Once I'm done, I'll give it a quick cleanup and add it to the other Nanowrimo tomes (An Anthology of Literature (Sort of)).

Yes, it's another Raven adventure, which made things easy -- the cast was set, and the story builds on the previous novels in the series. Still, this one just flowed.

So now just writing fiction isn't that difficult. But what about the actual content? This year's entry was another pulp adventure tale, set in the 1930's. The message? If you build a Diabolical Weapon, and think the authorities can't touch you, a costumed vigilante will bring about your demise.

As I like to say, great fun, but not great art. Perhaps next year I'll write a real novel about the human condition. Or maybe Raven will face another challenge from another supercrook that threatens the world...