8000 words is pretty common. Thats about the spot where a loosely defined plot starts having troubles. The internal editor shuts down the project, declaring that it is unsalvagable. The excitement goes out of it in a rush and it heads for the dustbin.
Last year I hit the same wall, somewhere around 8000 words I had run out of plot. I had an ending, to be used faroff in the distance and that was it. I decided to write a generic scene, just to get some words down. It sucked and was a complete throwaway scene because it didn't do anything for the story. Then I finished it and did another. Pretty soon I was at 20,000 - still had no idea what to write and no plot, nothing but a string of memorableless (is that a word?) scenes. Sounds depressing I know, but then about 25,000 words I began to see a glimmer and by 30,000 I had an idea how to get to my ending and some explanation of why all those scenes fit in. The light really does go on, if you give yourself a chance.
8000 is not that far behind, you can make it up. I suggest going for a long walk, think of a few scenes and what you want to write just for tomorrow. Tell your "this is cr*p" editor to take a hike and put words down. Even if you only reach 20,000 words by the end of Nov, you're still that much farther along your career as a writer!
Take a look at my nano blog, you'll see I have no idea what I am writing, it changes as I write. The key thing is to not get depressed and quit.
rah, rah, sis, boom, bah!
sorry for the syrupy sweet post.. just expressing my inner cheerleader.
10000
