NaNoWriMo insanity!

Hello all!

Again for the third year, I have decided to take on the task of writing 50k of words in 30 days. It is called National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short. You need to average about 2,000 words per day to complete the challenge, and that is easier said than done some days.

NaNos must overcome challenges like day jobs, families, homework, and even writer’s block. You must have the will to miss shows you want to watch, go without sleep, and sometimes deal with computer breakdowns or lost chapters. My biggest challenges are not having a solid outline ( aka “pantser”) and writer’s block. I learned the hard way on the first NaNo to SAVE,SAVE, and backup everything.

I have a love/hate relationship with NaNo. I love the challenge and the adrenaline rush I get from doing it. I hate having to edit the veritable spewed garbage-esque writing that comes from the sheer desperation. I do love the reminder that I can do it, and that I can do it again.  When I started this year’s NaNo all I knew was it was going to be paranormal and probably something romance.

To some, I am cheating. To others, I am playing by the rules. I had a rough outline for a short story done before November 1. The story had too much material to be a short, and I learned this after 5k of writing. So I decided I will NOT COUNT the first 5k of writing. I will only count what I wrote from 1 Nov to 30 Nov 2013. The final draft of this will be 5k more than what I will say it is for NaNo. Other people plot out their novels in advance, so why can’t I use my outline for this?

I have made my peace with the rules and their nuances. This is my interpretation and I am sticking to it. I have no excuse right now NOT to finish my NaNo project. I am currently unemployed and have not found a full-time job. I have plenty of hours in a day to write when I am not looking for a job. This should be a very productive time for writing for me, and it has been so far. I do not intend to change that just yet.

So to all you NaNos out there, have fun and happy writing. My first novel, “Wild Hearted” was my first NaNo project. Last year’s is still awaiting the editor. Who knows where this year’s will lead me.

Good luck, happy writing, and happy reading!

angel

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