NaNoWriMo 2018 is done, but my first draft isn’t! I won, having reached 50K (50,578 words to be exact, according to the NaNoWriMo word counter) on November 29 — one day early.
I took a breather on November 30 from the project, then started it up again on December 1 with the goal of reaching 89K words — and wrapping up the story — on or by December 23.
My novel “Minding Phaedra Fallon: A Superhero Story” is about a superhero who reassesses her purpose in life once her successful crimefighting career reaches its peak.
Here’s an excerpt from the manuscript:
“Oh, what has my life come down to?” The criminal wailed. He turned around again, avoiding eye contact with Phaedra. She dragged herself back up to her feet, yet kept her distance from this fledgling mastermind.
“Want to get something off your chest?” she asked, predicting herself to be in yet another “must counsel villains because they feel hopeless and it’s the superhero’s job to help them realize their potential” makeshift counseling sessions.
The air became cooler, like the temperature dropped 10 degrees in a course of 10 minutes, Phaedra thought – one degree drop per minute.
“I am a single parent of two children – 16 and 11,” the criminal began. “Their mother walked out on us when the kids were toddlers, and we haven’t seen her since. She, literally, walked out on us – she walked in, then walked out. Then walked in again because she forgot her purse, then left us again. The hardest part of that moment was when she returned, and I thought she changed her mind, but she had to get her favorite Coach bag.”
The same old sob story from these supervillains and criminals: their parents screwed them over. Their schools screwed them over. Society screwed them over.
Still locked on her suspicion that the criminal might attempt something funny, nevertheless Phaedra swung her arm around the criminal’s shoulders. “I’m sorry that happened to you. What’s your name?”
He cast a “You seriously don’t know my name?” look.
“I’m talking about your real name.”
“Padua. My parents named me after Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of the poor.”