Now that NaNoWriMo is over. Validated my 50K on the 20th of last month and ended the month with 55K, I have a mess to clean up.
I’ve been struggling with this story. It hasn’t unfolded for me like the first book did. I’ve kept changing my mind on things, written short side stories to try to generate idea, etc. The final product when I’ve cleaned most of the excess up: not a whole lot left.
And a giant mess.
I guess my concern is that this story wasn’t meant to be written or at least not as its own book. I love the dynamic that my two main character’s have developed into and I want to run with that, but this story is, well, not a whole lot. There are parts that I adore and too many that I wondered what I was thinking at the time (perhaps too caffeinated).
I’ll put the effort into editing it and see if I can’t salvage something and rework the book that way. I just feel disappointed after all of the mental planning that had gone into it.
J.C. Jackson 
You had mentioned you were worried because your pre-NaNo thoughts were looking like an outline. Do you think that has something to do with it?
Possibly. I kept changing my mind on things. I wasn’t enjoying the story as much as I have in the past.
I say keep at it. If you can pull anything from it, do. Earlier this year I changed nearly my entire plot because I felt my characters were right, but living in the wrong world with the wrong problems. I think there may be a seed in your story yet.
Well first of all, congrats for winning! I think there’s probably more there than you think. I would say to rest it for a few weeks and then come back. I think NaNo always feels like a mess but there’s a lot to be said for writing by gut instinct, as tends to happen in November (especially for the pantsers among us).
Congratulations on getting it written. Take a well-deserved break and then keep at it. Best of luck.