NaNoWriMo: Day 1

So, today was the first day of NaNoWriMo!

How'd you guys do?

Me? I made both my word count goals for the day, so that's good.

Blood Ties is at 45,121
Plural of Love is at 2,023

I have to admit, it was hard getting into Plural of Love, even just to get out that first 2K. Beginnings are usually easy for me. I have a great idea, a great opening, so I go for it and start writing... then three chapters later, my first draft isn't perfect and that irks me. And then I have this new, shiny idea... You get the picture.

Anyway, I'm not sure why Plural is so hard to get into. Possibly because I don't really know the characters. It's the least outlined story I've ever done. I mean, two pages in I had to break and search online to find a last name for my MC. A last name! The whole month of October I should have been outlining. But noooo, Blood Ties decided to get all interesting and stuff. Jerk.

Also, Blood Ties is present tense. And I'm loving it. And apparently so used to it because I'm finding it nearly impossible to stick to past tense with Plural. I might change tenses if I get fed up enough.

Was it always so hard to write past tense? No, Untouched is past tense. It was easy then. What the heck happened? I don't even know.

So here's the first chapter of Plural of Love. It's super short. I was really mad at it while writing, though after reading it a couple times, it gets my seal of approval. But barely-- it's still on probation. I'm keeping an eye on you, Plural...

* * * * *

Chapter One:
In Which (Possibly) I Attempt Suicide

It all started on the day I nearly died. He almost died that day, too, but that's another story. That was also where the similarities of our matching near-deaths ended. He carved the word 'free' into his wrist with a jagged piece of glass. I was hit by a train.

This is what happened: I stopped my car on the railroad track and just sat there. Staring at the train. Watching it chug along. Closer, closer, closer. Just in time, I pressed the gas pedal and shot forward to avoid the train colliding with the driver side door. The trunk was not so lucky. The train smashed into the back left bumper and sent me careening into the street where the car flipped. Twice.

I remember three things. First, watching the train screech to a halt some hundred yards down the track. Second, I distinctly remember the sirens. They filled the air ominously, hauntingly. I couldn't tell from which direction they came. Everywhere, it seemed. And lastly, right before passing out, I remember staring through the crushed glass windshield as an orange autumn leaf fluttered to the ground and landed right out of reach. Then I closed my eyes and everything was gone.

* * * * *

Meh.

I do like the chapter titles I'm going with. I've never named my chapters before, it's always been chapter one, chapter two, etc. They're fun to come up with.

Fellow NaNoers, how was your first day? Or, if you're from the future, how's the second day treating you? Meeting all your goals I hope!

By the way, you can find me here. Be my writing buddy!