So, like many of the masses, I was not successful in my NaNoWriMo ambition of completing a novel in a month (a novel of at least 50,000 words). I clocked in at about 21,808 before calling it quits.
When I think about it, though, I'm actually not really disappointed, for a couple of reasons:
1} I'm still not sure where exactly I want to go with the novel. Vomiting out all of those words was at times only frustrating because I felt like I was swimming upstream to a destination I didn't know about.
2} As was my qualm before getting started, I still haven't done all of my research, and this is a book that needs some research. I think in some places I can just insert it in there, but I will be able to write a much fuller story once I have everything in place, I think.
3} There are some other things I want to write. I went from finishing nothing in the last five years to trying to write a novel. While I am still working on my novel, I'm also trying to do some shorter, less complex things for practice.
4} I have started the habit of writing daily, and that is what I needed most of all. If I can keep to that, I don't need to write a novel in a month. I can just keep working.
However, for those of you who were successful, congratulations! I think it is really impressive that you were able to do it! I hope to join your ranks someday. For now, slow and steady for me. :)
Your number 4 is the best thing:)
ReplyDeleteI spent the month trying to illustrate a children's book that I have been working on. In the end, I decided that no, my stick figure dogs do not in fact look like dogs and that I needed a better drawing teacher. Or maybe...a real artist?
I've tried at least twice to join in and I never managed more than a few hundred words. Write...and make a Thanksgiving turkey? Please!
ReplyDeleteHere's my Sunday Salon.
I didn't do NaNo this year...finished it last year, and I've finally (I think!) completed the manuscript I started during Nov. last year.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that you have a partially completed manuscript, and that you've developed some writing habits. That's a great benefit. Good luck!
Here's MY SUNDAY SALON POST and
MY WEBSITE
21,000 words is not so shabby. I think I signed up last year for NaNo and wrote about 10,000 words. I haven't looked at them again, and I decided it just wasn't for me. Congratulations on getting excited about writing.
ReplyDeleteI was thrilled to win NaNo, so thrilled that I wrote a blog post about it. And it was a satisfying feeling, seeing my graph completed. But there were downsides to it, as well. For instance, the fact that I didn't read a single new book last month, because all my free time was writing. That was hard. But in the end, the most important thing for me was the same as yours -- it got me to try out an idea, to just go with a plot, to finally write write write, rather than write edit edit.
ReplyDeleteWriting more than 21,000 words in a month is pretty impressive. As you say, the habit of writing every day is what is important - and feeling that you have written something worthwhile, not just words. Good luck with it.
ReplyDeleteYou did better than me:) I din't officially participate in NaNoWriMo because I was planning to make a major progress at my existing WIP but let me just say it didn't not progress a lot. I think developing a habit of writing every day is already a success.
ReplyDelete@Gwen -- I'm sure they are better than you think! Good luck with that project.
ReplyDelete@Deb Nance -- Isn't that the truth? It probably would be a better time of year when there aren't holidays going on... although there is always something.
@Creations -- Congratulations on your progress! That is fantastic.
@LBC -- Sorry it didn't work out the way you hoped!
@Laura - Congratulations, that is amazing! I definitely read less last month and it was hard for me. I think I need a more balanced approach that I can maintain regularly instead of the insanity!
@Helen - Thank you so much! I'm going to come back and look at this comment when I am feeling down.
@Pepca - Thanks! Good luck with your WIP, sorry it didn't get as much done this time around.
21,000 words is nothing to sniff at. I tried it once and got maybe to about 10,000 words before I had issues with a laptop of mine. Over time you probably will appreciate your accomplishment and now you have something to aim for for next year.
ReplyDelete@Melissa -- Thanks! I am definitely hoping to keep working toward doing better. :)
ReplyDelete