NaNoWriMo A Go Go!

So, anyone who has been involved in NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month – will know the joy of reaching that goal.

I just reached it; 50,000 words in 1 month is the challenge and it has been a heck of a ride.

For well practised and  experienced writers, or speedy typists, this may not seem too daunting a task. But if like me, you are a professional procrastinator and a victim of Research Obsession, then it can be quite a challenge. I have just had a look at my calendar and check how much time I actually spent on it, how many days did I not get to write at all or write very little? Here’s the findings:

•  As a part-time working adult, I ‘lost’ 12 days to my paid job.
• I ‘lost’ 3 days to visiting and doing chores for parents.
• 6 days, my daughter was home from University, so I wanted to spend time with her of course.
• 2 imposed Sunday Dinners.
• 2 days lost to P.C malfunction – my laptop went haywire and files were corrupted – I subsequently lost many sections of the writing, plus 3 years worth of stories that were saved here.
• I counted, 9 full days spent on writing. 9! The rest was done as and when I could; before visitors arrived, in-between meals etc. etc.

So, I feel pretty chuffed with myself. The worst part was the laptop corruption. I spoke to computer ‘experts’ who were not really sure what had gone wrong, but they agreed that it was strange that the files could not be found in the backup section either. I was lucky to have a good friend who lent me his own laptop to carry on.  I really did not think I was goin to make the deadline, as I will be in work the last two days, so it had to be completed today.

When I began NaNo, I only had the bare bones of an idea. As I wrote, the story grew. I did not, in all honesty, know what I was going to write from day to day. I just knew I had to keep writing. The story is nowhere near complete; I reckon it needs another 30,000 to 40,000 words. then it needs ‘putting together’. Because it was written on two laptops, and is fragmented, due to the corruption that occurred, I have to try and gather it all into one document.

My husband just asked me, “Was it useful, though?”

Yes, it was. It forced me to keep focused, I didn’t veer off into aimless research, I didn’t play on the PlayStation and limited my time on my allotment. I can only equate it to driving. It was like being a rally driver as opposed to a day tourist –  start, drive, keep your eyes on the road and do not slow down to admire the scenery, or stop for tea and cake in a roadside café. There are no gears or brakes in the NaNo car!

The image displayed is the cover design I selected at the beginning of joining NaNo; a foetus. The story follows two girls in a future where child birth control is one of the themes. But now, it represents, to me at least, the birth of an idea, the nurturing of that idea, and growth. I don’t know if the story will ever be published, or if it’s working title; ‘Skypea and the Tyger’, will prevail, but it has been an interesting experience.

For those still writing, keep at it. If I can do it, so can you. Black out your windows, put on your driving gloves, and go!

http://nanowrimo.org

 

 

 

NaNoWriMo -How Does Your Writing Grow?

In my case, a little slower than I would like.

NaNoWriMo 2016, has been underway for 11 days now, and I have to say, it’s an interesting experience. People can get involved as much or as little as they like, so you might write a few hundred words this month, or, you might complete the 50,000, join a local group, attend all virtual and real-life Write-Ins, collect all the badges, buy a Halo etc. etc.

I fall somewhere in the middle (my life story that!)

Up to this point, I have written  13,163. Not bad, but at this pace it isn’t going to get me reaching my target before the end of November – and here’s the interesting thing, for me; I have always considered myself a lazy person, I will take the awkward option, make my life more difficult, but I always thought I had little self-motivation. I procrastinate like, well, a procrastinator. All of a sudden though, I remember when I trained in Tae Kwon Do, I have a competitive streak, it’s a very deep running vein and needs prodding to get going. I have found that  NaNoWriMo is just the thing to bring out that competitive side.

NaNo isn’t a competition – and if it was, it would be against yourself. But for those of us with even a smidgen of that spirit, it’s just the tonic. This all sounds like I don’t write without someone or something prodding me into action. Not true. I actually do write, at least every other day. When I’m ‘on a roll’ with a story, time flies by and it’s every hour that can be ‘spared’. But I have been struggling with an idea, the bare bones were sketched out, and it went stagnant. NaNo has been the impetus to just get on with it.

A garden needs certain things to grow, light, water, food.  The garden that is you, the writer, needs the same. Eat well, get outside in the fresh air and take liquid refreshment. On this point we might differ, tea, coffee, gin, wine…

So,  fellow Wrimo’s:

Write -whenever you can. Write – without research. Write – a little every day (50 words will do). Write – whatever comes into your head. Write – because when November is over, you will look at however many words you wrote and be able to say, “I am a writer”.

Cheerio

National Novel Writing Month

Or NaNoWriMo, as it is affectionately called, has started again today, Tuesday 1st November.

It has been running for a number of years, though I personally only heard about it for the first time two weeks ago – and signed up.

A rash move you might think, especially when you discover that what you sign up for is writing 50,000 words in one month. Yes that’s right, you get 1st to 30th November to complete a ‘novel’ or 50,000 word story. Though no-one checks, or reads as you go along, the exercise is meant to give  motivation; no research, no faltering, or procrastination (my favourite activities) just write every day – something. Worry later about editing and so forth.

“National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. 

On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.”

NaNoWriMo’s own press release states: “Last year, NaNoWriMo welcomed 431,626 participants in 633 different regions on six continents. Of these, more than 40,000 met the goal of writing 50,000 words in a month.”

If you fancy a ‘kick in the pants’ (my reason for joining) then go to:

http://nanowrimo.org/

Good Luck!