Wow. I am having so much fun with this NaNoWriMo thing! Following are some of my observations and experiences.
So after hanging to with the gang last Tuesday and doing some timed writing bursts really got me fired up. So I kept going with it, setting my timer and trying to write as fast and as much as I could. Here’s what I discovered:
- 1,677 words? No problem. This may change, but right now I am easily writing more than the minimum word count, often in under an hour. This is very exciting to me because it shows me that I can do this. I can write a first draft quickly, especially when I have the novel outlined. It also feels great to write every day. I stay in the story and it’s easier to get into the next day. I realize this is “duh” kind of moment, but it really drives home how important it is to maintain momentum, something I often lost with other projects.
- Satisfaction. When I’ve completed a timed writing session and then continued to hit the writing goal, I feel successful. I’ve hit or exceeded a goal. Sometimes I stop there and work on other projects, other times I take a break and write more later. In addition, I can’t believe how many new ideas are coming up with characters, backstory, and motivation. Almost every time I’ve finished, I feel totally pumped up, knowing I’ve put in a good day of writing. Huge sense of satisfaction and joy.
- Forward movement. Yes, I plan to hit or exceed the 50,000 words, but more than that, my goal is to have some form of a novel from beginning to end. I want to make sure I have hit all of the plot points on my outline. It may be one scene or many for a particular point, but I want to know what happens at those key points, even if they change later. For this daft, I’m only focused on the plot or “outward journey” and am not really thinking about my main character’s inner journey–that can come later. So far, I’m definitely making progress and am on track with those plot points. I want to complete a skeletal version of this novel. If I do that and count ends up being 46,000 at the end of the month, I will be thrilled.
Word count as of Wednesday, November 9: 25,106!!! (minimum for eight days: 13,416)
