This was my first year writing Nanowrimo, and what did I learn? Some important things, some not so much. But it's more that I learned to appreciate what Nanowrimo does which made the biggest impact.
I wrote. I wrote and I wrote and I wrote. It's been a long time since I've done that.
I'm also a hugely competitive person, so having other people's "scores" to compete against made me plow through faster.
On top of that, there's this huge support group to tap into, whether on the Nanowrimo.org forums, or Twitter. It was awesome. How many times did I search the #nanowrimo hashtag, just so I could give someone the "you can do it!" tweet, how many times I received them? Countless, but every one appreciated. I also got advice when I was stuck, or when I had plot issues, etc. It was an untapped resource, one that sticks around a bit with the #amwriting hashtag, but is only at it's peak once a year. (Like a Christmas Cactus?)
Planning is everything. Actually it's not. I'm a seat of the pants type writer, but having a plan in place did give me a general idea of where I wanted to go. It also stopped me from forgetting where I was going, or getting seriously stuck. I didn't follow it strictly, often my characters took me other places, the bad guys developed differently, etc so things just didn't go the way they were planned... but life rarely goes as planned and that, in my view, makes writing about life a lot more realistic.
I learned to put the blinders on and write. I used some tools, like Write-or-die, to push me into said mode. Everyone has to find their own way of writing. I used to think that music would help. Classical, or acoustic (no voices! please!) would get me into a mood, but I'd often get distracted. No I needed the silence. I needed to hear my thoughts loud and clear and have nothing distract them. I needed a padded cell for me to write in. Instead I made my husband wear headphones every time he was playing video games.
I took writing were I could. I will note that I wish I had done so more at home, and less at work. There are definitely times I felt a bit guilty, or almost got caught writing mid sex scene, that would have proved to be both super embarrassing and unhealthy for my career. When you have to write, you have to write, but there are some times it's just not appropriate. In stead I settled for making notes at work. That way I was still contributing but I wasn't wasting valuable work time.
Don't worry about editing. Everyone said that, hell I even took a chunk out of my WIP cause it blocked everything up. Yeah, not supposed to do that, but I did. I can't stand writing if there's red squiggles all over my word document. Another reason why Write or Die is so awesome (no spell check). I ended up having to do a big ol' spell check at the end of each writing slot just so I could start the next time (without doing mounds of editing). Not editing is one of the hardest things for me to do, and it is often where I have gotten myself stuck. In past WIPs I have started writing, then stopped (normal) then when I start back up the next day I have to re read what I wrote the time before, which ends up getting edited as I go. So I end up with a couple seriously awesome all edited chapters, then some scrappy ones that came in a flurry, then more super edited ones... and so on and so forth. Then a hasty end because I really just want to edit some of those scrappy bits.
I gave myself a break. I started my Nano with a big leap. I went from the first day being at 2k, to jumping up to 10k the second day. I kept steady progress for the first week, and by the second I had already hit 20k. Two weeks is about all the hiatus I can take from life. It began to pour with problems and things that needed my attention. The next 2.5 weeks I wrote a couple of days each week, but no where near my first few spurts. I got it done, I finished the 50 k, but my ending needs a lot of work and is very hastily put together. Pace yourself, I probably could have dealt better had I not excused myself from life for the first 2 weeks, of course life was going to come barreling in anyway, so maybe it was a good thing that I got that head start.
Do not alienate people. I am super competitive. My big jump in the beginning, yeah I was proud of it...but no need to rub people's faces in it. Near the end of November I noticed that the people I often talked to on Twitter about writing and other things and stopped responding or tweeting to me. I was a braggart! Now their slowly coming back around (i hope).
Once your done. Put it away for a bit. That's not learned but rather the consensus from a butt ton of people, writers and agents (not implying writers and agents aren't people..but their a special kind). Give your brain some time to think before you dive into frantic edits. Also, I will point out that at the end of November Nanowrimo comes December. Yes the time of gift giving, spending time with family, and getting a little bit too tipsy at social functions (wait that isn't just seasonal).
A writer needs people to inspire, to give you insight to others lives, some new idea for characters, and infliction, etc. You need to then BE with people or at least be amongst them. So enjoy your damn Christmas so you can add all those layers come the new year when you dive into those edits!
Oh, and a note to me next year: Do it! But plot a bit more in October! Have some preparation so that, that empty page sitting in front of you November 1 isn't so damn scary!
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| HELL YA! |
