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Writing Words - writing it is the only way of getting it written
When I won my first NaNoWriMo seven years ago, I was ecstatic for at least a week.
Nowadays, I'm usually glad I got through the first draft without going bonkers. Then I start worrying about the rewrites. Because I know I can write a 50,000 to 80,000 word first draft in a month even if I only get to start on the 15th. Editing and revision, on the other hand - not so easy. Writing the first draft is not where the work starts, it's when you have to edit the beast that things get ugly.
I did it once. So I've created a precedent - I can do it. I can do it. I can do it.
I finished my NaNo novel. In the last scene, I've planted the seed for a new one. Maybe it will have to wait until next November, maybe I'll get round to writing it before that.
Tonight, I relax. Tomorrow, I begin the rewrites of last year's novel. For real this time.
50019 words, and I've just written "The End". Another first draft to revise...
I'm glad I've finished the story, but I'm not ecstatic. Maybe I don't have to be over the moon about finishing another story, though. I've done it often enough now to have gotten used to the feeling. Or maybe I'm just too tired tonight.
Didn't finish the story today as planned. Still some 2,700 words away from 50k, I hope I'll get there by Tuesday evening. I want to be done with this story ...
Tonight I gave myself the night off. On the first glance, not the best tactic considering I have written about 3,000 words this week. I am pretty confident that I'll cross the 50k finishing line some time this weekend.
So tonight, I read rather than write.
Today has been the first day I didn't write anything for NaNaWriMo. I plan to catch up over the weekend
I've written a couple of hundred words so far, and I will try for a few more in a moment (just have to make the most of it while my internet connection is working).
During the day, whenever I had a spare minute, I pictured the next scene I need to write. It took a while to get it right, but now I can see it clearly, as if it were a scene from a movie. It makes writing it down a lot easier.
350 words tonight for the novel. Not much, but every word I write during the week is one word less I have to write during the weekend. Pity I'm so busy, my internet connection is only working sporadically and there would be no distraction while writing.
It's going to be a busy week. I've managed to post something every day so far this month - good thing since I'm taking part in NaBloPoMo again - and I hope I will keep the routine up.
But, busy week ahead, a deadline on Thursday and a novel that needs my attention for at least an hour a day. If I get squeezed for time, I might have to make a sacrifice or two. As I usually blog about writing, I won't have any material for a blog post if I don't write. But after a packed day, will I have any words left for a blog post? I suppose I'll find out in the course of the week.
I didn't quite make it as far as I wanted, but just over 40k is good enough for me. Now I'm out of words.
I didn't quite make it as far as I wanted, but just over 40k is good enough for me. Now I'm out of words.
As I wrote the other day, Twitter is a major distraction. It's not a complete waste of time, though. If used sparingly (something I clearly still need to master), Twitter is a fantastic source of information and inspiration for writers. You can follow publishing houses, editors, literary agents and writers. You'll learn more about the industry, you might make some useful connections and you can interact with your favourite authors. Twitter is lots of fun, and it's my treat for making my daily wordcount this month.
If you're looking for some inspiration as to who to follow, here's the Mashable list of the best authors to follow on Twitter. One of them is @maureenjohnson, who wrote today's fantastic NaNoWriMo pep talk.
There's NaNoWriMo, obviously. (Writing today has been much easier than yesterday, so yay!)
Then there is NaBloPoMo, which started as a November event before it went monthly about two years ago. And if you had a go at NaBloPoMo but had to drop out (or even if you're still going strong with the daily blog posts), there's IComLeaveWe. Why, International Comment Leave Week, of course. It's a monthly event, too, and starts at the 21st of every month. The rules: post five comments on blogs and return one comment made on you blog every day for a week.
... will come crashing down eventually. I wasn't quite prepared for it to happen so quickly, though.
I crossed the half-way mark yesterday and finished at 26,402. Writing was a breeze, and it looked like things were falling into place nicely. Maybe I should have kept going because today has been almost the exact opposite. I've written 2,200 words so far, but getting them onto the page was hard work. And as if that wasn't enough, I'm not happy with a lot of what I wrote
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Great quote from Patricia Highsmith about how the unconscious often provides the crucial parts of a story.
For your unconscious to present you with plot twists and solutions, you have to feed it first, though. Provide it with the relevant info, then go and do something else. Don't think about the problem anymore, and your unconscious will work its magic. Have pen and paper ready!
Seven already - seriously?
Today was a good day. I made 20k, wrote over 4,000 words - the biggest daily chunk so far. Needless to say, it was easy today. Fun, even.
The worst things you write will take you closer to 50k just as well as brilliant things would. I wrote a lot of bad stuff today. Well over 2,000 words of badbadbad. 2,000 words are 2,000 words, though.
Considering how much I suck at editing, this isn't good news. I guess it's time I did something about my poor editing and revision skills, then.
Here's my NaNoWriMo link list with all sorts of sites I find useful when I get stuck in November.
If you have a Linkli.st account, feel free to clone it and adapt it. And if you know any good NaNo-related sites, leave a link in the comments.
I spend all afternoon writing - but not my novel. I had a deadline for one of my regular freelance gigs today. Since I am being paid for that, it obviously was my priority. It's okay, I've got over 11,000 words altogether.
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