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Switched Plots

Here's how I imagine the conversation would go if someone I know were to ask me about my NaNo progress.

Them: "Hey, I heard you were doing NaNoWriMo again. How'd that go last year?"
Me: "Good, I guess. I won."
Them: "Awesome. Can I read the novel?"
Me: "Not yet. It isn't anywhere near ready to read."
Them: "Oh... so, how's it going so far this year?"
Me: "Really well. Funny story, though - I had an idea at the beginning of October I was fleshing out, but on November 1st, it decided not to write itself."
Them: "Not to..."
Me: "So I switched plots."
Them: "You switched plots. Um... wow."
Me: "Yeah, I know, crazy. But this plot's been rattling around in my head since November of last year, so these characters are absolutely ready to spill the beans."
Them: "Okay, well... nice to see you, Cat. See you next year."
Me: "Actually, two years."
Them: "Two?"
Me: "Yeah, I'm going around the world next year."
Them: "Oh, yeah... that w... global trek thing?"
Me: "The World Race... yeah. So I'll be in my last month of that at this time next year, and not able to do anything for NaNo. But, you know... you could help me..."
Them: "Bye!"

Yeah, I guess that's a weird sounding conversation... now that I've put it into words on the screen. And maybe I've lost my mind for switching plots, but who are you to question it when the juices are flowing? Hmm?

In general, I don't advocate switching plots during NaNo... but with any rule, there seems to always be at least one exception people are willing to allow. For me and NaNoWriMo, here's the list (after the jump).


  1. It's November 1st, the plot you've been working with the past month isn't translating into anything in the word processor, and there's another plot that's been simmering for awhile with characters jumping out of the pot for the chance to get a little love.
  2. You started writing November 1st with no plot whatsoever.
Well, those are really the only exceptions to the rule, as far as I'm concerned. If you've got any more, show me some comment love and post them here so I can write a post later on in the month about what fellow NaNoers think constitutes a valid exception to the rule.

Until tomorrow night!
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