Every November, the challenge of NaNoWriMo arises—National November Writing Month, where writers try to write a 50,000 word novel in the span of 30 days. That means writing over 1,600 words per day.
This might seem like torture if you’re not a writer, but as someone who’s been writing their entire life, I always look forward to this challenge. Instead of writing a full length novel, I usually choose to write 30 separate short stories that accumulate to 50,000 words by the end of the month. This year, I chose to write based off of the theme ‘Europe,’ where each story is set in a different location I’ve visited in Europe. It was fitting considering that I was in Europe for the entire duration of the challenge this year.
Despite all the travel, school, and work commitments during this month, I managed to always find time to sit down and write (even if it was at 1 a.m. in the morning!). It’s extremely satisfying to look at all my finished products at the end of the month and be proud of what I wrote, along with being able to share selected stories and excerpts with others.
As a continuation from my article last year, here are my favorite lines from each story that was completed this month. I am already excited for next year!
November 1: Venice, Italy
“To think. There’s thousands of teenage boys that come through Venice each year, yet we’re still without a boyfriend,” Sophia complains, letting her cup dangle off the balcony. Maybe if she aims perfectly, she’ll make it in the stroller below.
November 2: Porta Garibaldi (Milan), Italy
Whatever is happening here, I don’t need some doctor trying to figure it out. What if somehow I’ve been infused with this girl? What if I really have traveled in time? What would my vitals even begin to look like?
November 3: Vikerfjell, Norway
But I was tired of being scared. If I wanted something to happen, then maybe it was best to run off the cliff and hope we’re still together by the end.
November 4: Bern, Switzerland
I was a 27 year old man, getting undressed on the side of a river. Even after all this time, only Rocky could convince me to do something like this.
November 5: Ronco Scrivia, Italy
Carter had traveled everywhere, but he said that he didn’t like it as much as he used to. He liked being in one place for a long time and getting acclimated before jumping ship again. I told him that in that case, he’d have to come back to Ronco Scrivia every summer. You know, to get acclimated.
November 6: Versailles, France
There was a commotion a few hundred feet away, so Claude was forced to take one last look at her and then start running off. He felt horrible about it, of course he did, but it was self preservation. He just hoped he could forgive himself one day.
November 7: Frankfurt, Germany
“You need to call her,” I told myself. “Just call her. It’ll be fine. It’ll go fine.”
After another few minutes of hovering my finger over the call button, I instead shut off my phone and decided to take a nap.
November 8: Bogliasco, Italy
His eyes met mine. Every emotion he was feeling rushed into me and soon I was tearing up too. I didn’t want to see him like this. I didn’t want him to feel so disowned, so unwanted, so unloved.
A single tear fell from his left eye. “I don’t know what to do.”
November 9: Como, Italy
When it was obvious that he wasn’t trying to kill me, I apologized to him.
November 10: Genova, Italy
It was so odd, but Maya was feeling quite soothed by this new friend of hers. They had barely met, but it was nice having someone to sit with you as the sun went up, no matter who it was.
November 11: Stresa, Italy
“We love it though,” I said. “This is a great place to get stuck in.”
“It’s home,” was all he responded with, then started to make our coffees.
November 12: Pisa, Italy
Tears flooded my eyes. Something so small made me miss her so much. I hadn’t thought about her, truly thought about her being gone. How she would never get that seashell from me.
November 13: Porta Lodovica (Milan), Italy
“You can always tell her, if you want.”
I thought about it, but my mind was pretty much made on that front. “She’s going to be leaving soon anyways. Don’t really want to open up my entire life.”
November 14: Lecco, Italy
“Naomi, I’m sorry,” he said, trying to get closer to me, but I just stepped further back. “It was wrong. I didn’t think about it too much. I knew I wanted to change my life, and you always said that you wanted to see what was up there. Up here.”
“I wanted to see it,” I sniffed. “I didn’t want to live it.”
November 15: Vatican City
“That guy died for us.”
I was silent for a moment. I wasn’t so sure what to say. “Yes, he did.”
“Mama died for us.”
“Yes, she did.”
“So, who are we dying for?”
November 16: Florence, Italy
I didn’t want to leave him. I was selfish, I didn’t want to imagine him getting married to someone else, having someone else’s kids. Going on trips with them, dying old together. That was supposed to be our thing.
But I could never hold him back from that. He deserved to be happy. That’s all I wanted for him.
November 17: Paris, France
He saw me as I was walking slowly over. He smiled wide. “I’m so glad that worked. They all told me it was never going to work.”
November 18: Cinque Terre, Italy
“You literally live in the most beautiful place in the world, you couldn’t have come to New York. I wouldn’t let you do that just for me,” he said.
“Jamey, you were everything to me. I wanted to.”
“Then I think that’s your mistake.”
November 19: Galway, Ireland
I was shell shocked on what to say. I didn’t know that my mother had told him about Ronan, but the more I thought about it, the more that’s something she would do. She always wanted the two of us to be closer to each other. This was probably one of her dying wishes.
November 20: Navigli (Milan), Italy
I had never ridden on a scooter, and the first time I would be doing it would be with an Italian boy in Milan while on a date at 2am.
November 21: Lugano, Switzerland
“But also,” I said, starting to dig something out of my bag. I pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, setting it on the coffee table. While some things could be changed for the future, protocol could not. “You really need to sign this NDA.”
November 22: Rome, Italy
“I wish you could just decide for me,” he said, and I noticed a single tear forming in his eye. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I don’t know either,” I agreed.
“I’m in love with you, I can’t help it.”
November 23: London, U.K.
I stared at the napkin. I couldn’t believe it. I was just a normal girl who worked in a coffee shop in between University classes, and now a maybe-famous boy had just given me his number to text him. And I still didn’t know who he was.
November 24: Aran Islands, Ireland
“I wish you had told us. I wish we had heard from you the moment it happened. We could’ve been there for you, Flynn. And you know that. Family has their issues of course, but we never abandon each other in times of need.”
November 25: Oslo, Norway
“If you have the privilege to do what you want, then by all means do it and don’t feel bad for yourself,” I said somewhat sternly. I didn’t want him wallowing. While I understood the situation, he was one of the most powerful people in the country. He could do anything he wanted.
November 26: Porta Nuova (Milan), Italy
He was insulting my entire success plan, the life I had worked hard for and paved a life for. I should hate him. I should punch him.
Instead, I just broke into tears.
November 27: Valletta, Malta
He walked off, and I turned to go to my front door. I had to stop before walking in and wait for the blush to fade from my cheeks, in case my parents asked questions. However, I was unable to shake the giddy smile spread across my face.
My country had won the war, and I had won something too.
November 28: Brussels, Belgium
“We’re proud of you, Marie,” Father said, and his words soaked into my skin like a sponge.
November 29: Central Station (Milan), Italy
I had no idea what to do. I had no idea where to go. All I knew is that when I looked down at this girl, terrified and apparently now only trusting me, I had to do something.
November 30: Bologna, Italy
One of these times the two of us would cross paths again. And it will be as if we just saw each other yesterday.