I wrote in NaNoWriMo this year and finished my 50,000 words–for my middle grade novel. That does not count or include the work I did on my picture books.

It does, however, include quite a few things that got thrown out.

So while I finished NaNoWriMo, my middle grade novel is missing its final two chapters.

Thankfully I am a person of my word and I told my friend and author that I would have those two chapters to her by January 21. That means I will write them.

Have I written them yet? No, I have not.

Today, while I was cleaning my desk, I found this note:

• 1st day
• 2nd day TD “go back to Hakan”
• 3rd day getting a parade, Yutpan
• 4th day lent special clothes, jewelry, scarf or hat SHOES? “get on the horse”
• shofar- musicians
• all the priests and their families
• Jandor’s–Jandor angry. Maker wanted to protect us.
• Oondien’s–Spoke to the Maker about Jandor’s anger.
• Marlayna–Save the wheat and the children.
• Eclista–Hunt for someone who will listen.
• Meridi–go to Get causing problem, after Sedhu–“yeah, not…”

I wrote it. It is in my handwriting. Most of it I have no clue what it means.

I did decide to compress the time, so there are only 3 days of the 4 here. So the 2nd day info is irrelevant. Why did I have the folks at the end? Why didn’t I have the other two?

I don’t know. I don’t know how long ago I wrote that–sometime since the end of NaNoWriMo and today.

This is the second time I’ve found something I hand wrote for this novel in the last few months that I don’t know what it is about. The last one I figured it out, but it was too late to use the idea without significant restructuring. The restructuring was so significant that I am not going to do it unless some critique partner or agent tells me it doesn’t work as it is.

I still haven’t written those two chapters. What would I do for notes now?

2nd day at the temple

3rd day getting a parade, Yutpan

4th day Surprise! The parade is for you. “get on the horse” makes sense, because the MC is being feted/celebrated.

The Powers are involved as far as their areas of control. That gave me the 5 above (plus the Maker). The other two, why aren’t they there? Fire and earth aren’t relevant to the thunderstorm at all. Earth is relevant to the first. Fire to the third. No one knows about the first. The third is in the next book. Okay, that explains the notes of the folks at the end.

I can’t skip ahead and write this because this is the end.

I have to start somewhere. Where am I going to start? I don’t know.

Writing this post is another way to avoid starting. Yes, I know that.