"So convenient thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do." -- Benjamin FranklinI'm chiming in on my Nano project. Its almost over now. We have . . . seven days left. After a hugely enthusiastic first week I've been ahead of my word count. Last week I spent most of the time telling people that I'm ahead, so its okay that I haven't written anything today. Of course the guilt started to wear me down and then every day I didn't write I wasn't so far head.
I'm definitely on task to "win" Nano this year. I've written 44,000 words so far. I don't think I'll have any problems reaching 50,000, since I'm only a little over half way through my story. I'm on chapter 13. I have plenty more ideas. I've even got a general idea of the climax and how the story will end.
That's great, but is it really winning when my story isn't finished?
In seven days Nano may be over, but my story definitely won't be done. I'll still be writing it come December, maybe not as frantically, or enthusiastically, but I am determined to finish the story. I'll be much more excited when I've finished the first draft, rather than having a certain word count.
From the beginning I wasn't really convinced about pushing quantity of words over quality. I've been thinking about it over this month, here's what I've gained from Nano.
I always had the habit of writing everything by hand, before it goes in the computer. I write slower by hand, I write better by hand, but with Nano, during the last half of the month, I started to write on the computer. It's been liberating to do that. There are still benefits to writing by hand, then typing it in, you're able to edit and improve the text when you type it in. With Nano I wasn't allowed to edit as I typed, I could add in words, but never take them out. That was the hard part.
Everyday this month I would thinking about writing. Most of the time I would get up and start writing. Beautiful. I love doing that. Even when it was so hard, even when I hated every word, every sentence I put down, I would still write. And that is an excellent habit to have. This is what I like best about Nano. This is what is going to help me in the future, especially during December when I try to finish this novel I started.
I'm sure there are negatives to Nano, but I've decided not to focus on them. I just want to think about the positive parts, because it's not over yet.
Seven days to go.
I agree with you that the National Writing Month Challenge really keeps you on task to write everyday. I know, though, that at times, I would keep the weekend for myself. For some people, the deadline keeps them on task to finish.
ReplyDeleteI'm that sort of person. If I don't have a deadline and the taste of competetion, I just let everything fall apart.
That's why, Angelbird, I have you to thank for my writing count. So many times, I despaired of even writing in the third and fourth week, but when I looked at your steadily climbing word count, I was able to write to my word goal. :)
It's nice to have that silent encouragement!
Happy writing! I'm excited about your novel! Mine is a rambling mess of nonscence but that's usually what a rough draft is....isn't it?!
That's definetely what a rough draft is. I've decided to call mine: Manuscript 1, draft 1. Since I'm oh so fond of numbering my story drafts.
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