NaNoWriMo Update Two

I wrote 4,000 words today.

Well, not today today. I mean, yeah it’s present day today here where I live and breathe, but when I post this bloggy, today will be two whole days ago. So my 4k extravaganza is old news.

What have you done for me lately, word count?

Wednesday - 2,539 words.

Hey, that’s pretty good, too! Understatement. I used to pull my brains out just trying to write 1,000 words in a day. Of course, when one writes one’s novel, one should be more concerned with one’s quality over one’s quantity. As long as quantity is over one, focus on making them dang good ones. Later, though.

For now, I must reiterate: I wrote 4,000 words today! Tuesday, whatever. Throughout my entire writing career, which though not exactly “esteemed” has had its share of high personal notes, I am quite certain I’ve never written 4,000 words in a day about anything, let alone a novel I deeply cared about. So yes, I’m a gonna take this win and ride it. Straight on into all those tomorrows.

What NaNoWriMo Is Teaching Me

Though I have thus far failed to mention the root of this prolific burst of authentic wordage, its inspiration is threefold. Or trifold, if you will.

Do those words have the same meaning?

Fact check that later. Write on!

Inspiration #1: NaNoWriMo - Being that November is National Novel Writing Month, my goal of getting down 50,000 words is of utmost importance and never in poor taste.

Inspiration #2: The story itself. I’ve had this idea (and character) stewing in the old noggin for a while now and, though this first draft is a far far cry from where I want it to be, it’s the most crucial step to chiseling out the marble statue.

Inspiration #3: I dragged my good friend and writer Ron Dean into this monthlong experiment. We check in with each other daily and I just say that it does help immensely to have yourself a writing buddy.

Word Count for November thus far (as of November 20):
36,018 (of 50,000 word goal)

Total word count on first draft manuscript thus far:
59,276

But who’s counting?

Who isn’t?!?

Hey Ron, welcome to Day 21!
How doth your NaNoWriMo go?

NaNoWriMo:

The Ron Dean Way

Goose Egg

This update will be a short one, for I’m running out of precious words! Twenty days of NaNoWriMo have come and gone, and I’ve managed an astonishing (for me) 32,752 words. Never in my life have I written as much in so short a time. It’s exhilarating to think that I’m actually doing the things a writer does. Does that make me a writer? Maybe! But I’m not sure I can keep up the pace. It’s wearing on me. It’s like I’m running a marathon for the first time and I’m feeling my legs turn to jelly-dust with eight miles yet to go. Is this normal? I’ve had my first major stumble this past week, too: a word-count goose egg.

I must remain calm if I’m to succeed. I must follow the steps to a more enlightened and productive me. First step: make like a galactic hitchhiker and don’t panic! It’s perfectly acceptable and realistic to miss a day or two during America’s turkiest month. Life is pounding on my door and pushing its way into my sacred three-hour writing window. Some days it will be unavoidable to not make it to the keyboard.

Second step: Perspective. I can’t be hard on myself for a zero-word day. In fact, I wrote 3,000 words on the goose egg day under scrutiny. Instead of story, I wrote chapter summaries of my story in progress and outlined future chapters. I consider those words an investment and therefore worth it. 

Second step part 2: Even more perspective! I had to help my father-in-law drag that deer he got out of the woods and gut it and hang it at 8 o’clock at night; it makes me a good son-in-law. I also had to remove leaves for four hours the next day; it makes for a smashing lawn. I also had to help my kids through a tough night (or three) of homework; it makes me Dad.

Final step: I’ve run out of steps because I’m flailing here, people! Yes, I feel more tired after each work day--writing has taken on a “chore” feel as NaNoWriMo’s end approaches. I drank a coffee at six o’clock last night so I could be up and alert enough to write. Then I couldn’t fall asleep until after midnight. My alarm woke me up before six am to get ready for work. What am I doing? WHY!?

So those steps make no sense. Nothing makes sense anymore! Am I happy that I’m challenging myself to write 50,000 words in 30 days? Is it worth it to me? 

Yup.

My story is moving along nicely, much nicer than when I wrote only three or four times a week and for less than an hour. I have more ideas and I like how things are coming out. As a show of gratitude to the NaNoWriMo gods, I will reach my goal. I won’t finish my novel (since it will be longer), but I’m making amazing strides.

YOU CAN REACH YOUR GOAL, TOO!!!!