Firstly, this week’s question from YA Highway’s Road Trip Wednesday concerns what my main character would want for Christmas.  What I find interesting about this is that for my current WIP I couldn’t answer this question without giving away the entire plot, which I’m not prepared to do. I think this is a good thing though, because it indicates how my character’s desires are intrinsically linked with her goals and therefore the plot. But I have another book out on sub and that’s a bit easier. That MC would want art supplies, a Starbucks gift card, and maybe some mittens. She wouldn’t want anything from her boyfriend because he’s a Muslim and he doesn’t celebrate Christmas. But from her other boyfriend…but I’m getting ahead of myself. That’s for the sequel.

As you may know, I started November with a goal of writing at least 1666 words per day. I achieved that goal, and then some up until about December 9. I decided to take a bit of a break from writing and think a bit about plotting, since I’m reaching the point where I need to wind this thing up, whatever this thing may be.

So Friday I wrote a bit, then stopped. On Saturday I wrote nothing, by Saturday night I was feeling pretty crappy. Sunday I walked around in a daze and wrote nothing. Monday afternoon I started to hurt all over so I went to bed. By Monday night I had a fever and a brain melting headache. I woke up in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, my head hurting so bad I was nearly vomiting. I staggered downstairs, managed to take two ibuprofen and crawled back into bed. Eventually, as the pain subsided, I went back to sleep. Finally, just before dawn, I woke up, drenched in sweat, but feeling a lot better.

Now I have a hacking cough, but apart from that, I think I’ll survive. The moral of the story is: NEVER STOP WRITING.