This past November, I did my first ever NaNoWriMo!
I’ve always wanted to try and have followed others’ tweets and posts about it with envy, but November has historically been too busy a time of year for me to take on an all-consuming project like writing an entire novel in 30 days.
In 2019, though, the stars aligned, and I decided to dive in.
THE GOOD
I loved how quickly I fell into a rhythm of writing 1,500-1,600 words each day. Overall, there were only two days when I really thought I wouldn’t be able to hit my word count, and the rest of the time, the story flowed.
My whole family got into it, asking if I’d finished my words and encouraging me if I was feeling lazy or unsure.
When I finished November, I had just over 50,000 words of a brand new book! I didn’t quite finish the story, but I knew where I needed to go and how to get there.
I think this is a more cohesive draft with fewer giant plot problems to fix because I wrote it in such a condensed period of time. Yes, there are a LOT of things I want to go back and change, and I’m sure there will be even more once I send it out to readers. But in general, I think it’s safe to say this is the most coherent and well-drawn draft I’ve ever written.
THE BAD
It was exhausting. Mentally, I was wrecked each day. I quit knitting – something I normally do most days – almost entirely, barely read, and found it difficult to engage in anything that wasn’t my story.
I didn’t finish the book. As I said, I still had a couple of chapters to go to finish the story, though I did accidentally write the last chapter halfway through the month.
I only made it 28 days. I lost steam after I hit 50,000 words. The last two days of the month were the two days after Thanksgiving, and family time and holiday activities were just too tempting.
THE TIPS
I researched and outlined for this book for about six months before starting to write it, so I had a good idea of where I wanted the story to go and who the characters were before I dove into NaNo. That preparation made the task of banging out 50,000 words a lot easier.
I made sure my family was on board before I started. I needed the support and the cheering section for one, but I also wanted them to know that I might slack off on the home front for the month and that they might need to ask me things more than once.
I write better in the afternoon. But I stressed out a lot about not making my word count if I started writing later in the day, so I tried to get at least 500 words down first thing in the morning. Those words helped give me confidence that I could make my goal.
I’ve fast-drafted before, but never quite this fast. I definitely preferred it to taking months to eke out a draft, but it took its toll on me – and on the mess in my kitchen!
Overall, it was exhausting but fun – like hiking up a mountain. Right now, I’m taking in the view, but soon I’ll head back down the revision trail.
Have you NaNo’d before? How was your experience? Any good tips for future NaNo-ers?