Different words required…

wordsTen days into NaNoWriMo and I’m still on target. Even better, just getting the words onto the page has allowed me time to really think about the plot, and make a few changes.

I’ve decided that one of the strands of my novel needs a different, less formal voice but I won’t be thinking about that until the end of November when I’ve written 50 thousand words.

But what will those words be?

I had assumed that those fifty thousand words would all be fiction, but last week it was suggested that I extend some work that I did a while ago on back pain and write an extended article on pain scales an meaning. The article may turn out to be about 30 thousand words if I include everything I have, which will go a long way towards NaNoWriMo, but I won’t get very far with the novel.

There are also some short stories begging to be written, with writing prompts coming at regular intervals all weekend. The problem with switching from fiction to non-fiction and back again is, for me anyway, focus. My non-fiction writing tends to be about health or technology, where writing fiction is different entirely and requires flow. It’s not impossible, but it is difficult to switch back and forth between the two in short spaces of time.

At times like this, when I’m bombarded with words all competing for my attention, I make notes on my phone as the ideas crop up and hope for the best.

For now, I’m going with whatever is most urgent – the Back Pain Diaries – fiction writing will still be done in the early morning half-light or after sunset.