NaNoWriMo Vs. 30 Hubs in 30 Days
Writing a Novel in 30 Days
In 2006, I read Chris Baty’s book, No Plot? No Problem: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days. This is the book that inspired the creation of NaNoWriMo. Check out NaNoWriMo.org to learn more about this fast-paced national novel-writing craze.
The book is inspiring, to say the least. By the end of it, I thought, ‘Hey, I can do that.’ So I did. I dedicated 30 days of my life (in August, though, not November. November never does work out for me as a good month to write - too much holiday/family stuff going on - and I always - ALWAYS get sick during the month of November and never have enough energy to do anything) to finally completing a novel.
Writing 30 Hubs in 30 Days
At the end of this past March, I heard about the HubPages writing contest and the concurrent 30 Hubs in 30 Days Challenge for the month of April. Once again I thought, ‘Hey, I can do that.’
I was instantly reminded of my 30-day novel writing experience, so I thought, for my 30th hub (which is actually being published on Day 32 - not Day 30), I would write a hub comparing the 2 experiences. This is how they measure up.
1: Number of Words Per Day
The goal of NaNoWriMo is to have, at the end of 30 days, 50,000 words of your novel completed. You will not have a complete novel (i.e., the novel will not be as polished as you can possibly make it), but you will have a complete story (i.e., a beginning, middle, and end). For this to occur, you have to write at least 1667 words per day.
By the time I finished my 30 days of novel writing in August of 2006, I had 60,000 words done, so that averages out to 2000 words per day.
Summing up all the words for the 30 Hubs Challenge, including this one, I’ve written a little under 26,550 words. That averages out to about 885 words per day.
That’s a pretty decent word count for hubs. But why did I write half the number of words per day hubbing compared to when I was writing my novel? There are a few reasons that I can think of.
2: Amount of Focus
With my 30-day novel-writing experience, I had a good idea what I was going to write. I’d outlined the whole plot beforehand and used that outline when I was writing the novel. Sometimes I would deviate from the outline - when my characters began to take charge of their own actions, and that’s when the real fun started.
I didn’t have that much focus with the 30 days of hubbing. I didn’t have a single outline I was working from. I didn’t even have multiple outlines. I just came up with a few ideas and began writing. My 30 hubs covered a lot of different topics: my daughter’s favorite things; recipes, celebrities, genealogy, pest extermination, pets, and even financial things, like stock picking (my husband’s contribution since he likes to use my HubPages account from time to time to publish things that interest him).
I think the 30-day hub challenge would have been a lot easier for me to complete had I stuck to one topic and written 30 hubs about that one topic. Now, I don’t really know how easy it would have been to do that, but maybe I’ll try that the next time I attempt to do a 30-day hub challenge. Maybe I’ll do the 100 Hubs in 30 Days Challenge next?? Um, maybe not!
3: Personal Life Changes
In 2006, I was not married and I didn’t have any children. So, I had more time to write. I could block out whole Saturday mornings and afternoons to devote only to my novel.
I could not do that with this hub challenge because now I have a husband and two daughters - a two-year-old and a six-month-old. My Saturday mornings and afternoons are no longer my own. Sometimes I’ll wake up much earlier than anyone else in the family, and that’s when I take the time to write my hubs. But it doesn’t always work out.
4: Differences in Readership
Considering I self-published my novel on Lulu.com and didn't promote it heavily, not many people have read it. When I read it again after publishing, I didn’t think it was very good, so I don’t really encourage people to read it. I might go back and fix things up later to try to make it better. Then I won’t have to be so embarrassed by it.
My hubs, I’m glad to say, do get read. And, for the most part, I’m pretty proud of them and think that they do offer something of value to whoever reads them. I’ve gotten great feedback about so many of my hubs from so many other great hubbers. I'm really grateful for this community and am glad I found it!
So, Which Is Easier?
Overall, I’d have to say that writing a novel in 30 days was a whole lot easier than writing 30 hubs in 30 days.
But, like I mentioned, my life circumstances have changed dramatically since I wrote that novel in 30 days. So I wonder if, given the way things are now, it would still be easier to write a novel. I might just have to give it a try. I have a couple of novel ideas going in the back of my head. I should probably put them down on paper at some point.
For now, though, I think I’ll just concentrate on promoting all the hubs I just wrote for this challenge, even though it did take me a little longer than 30 days to complete.
My 30 Hubs in 32 Days
- Add Some Thyme to Your Day
I love thyme, and I fell in love with it even before I knew about its many health benefits. Here's a description of some of them. After reading this, you'll most definitely want to add more thyme to your day! - The Best Baby Strollers for Under $200
Every new parent needs a stroller, but most new parents can't afford expensive ones. Here's my list of the best strollers on the market today that cost less than $200. - Best Bath and Body Works Fragrances for Fall and Win...
The scents in this list are perfect for cooler weather wear. If you know a woman who has a birthday or other special day in the fall or winter, you might want to consider buying one of these to celebrate. - Best Bath and Body Works Fragrances for Spring and S...
Sit back, relax, and read about some fragrances that will complement anything in your spring and summer wardrobes. - Best Dog Breeds for the Elderly
It's a well known fact that people who have pets are happier and healthier than people who don't, and elderly people probably need pets more than the rest of us do. Which dog breed is best? Small and medium-sized dogs are best for older people. Here - Cherry Coke Zero Chicken
Even if you are not one of the many people who are on a low carb diet these days, you still might want to watch your sugar intake. This is a yummy low-carb chicken recipe with a delicious added cherry flavor. - Finding Hidden Fruit in Your Genealogical Garden
Do the brick walls in your genealogical garden have your frustrated? Are you ready to give up? Don't! The next big discovery may be right around the corner! - Five Famous People Born on April 1
I wonder if the mothers of these celebrities thought they were getting the ultimate April Fools' joke when they went into labor. Well, they really did have their babies on one of the biggest days for practical jokes. - Fun Facts (And Not-So-Fun Facts) About Xylitol
Love sugar but hate the calories? Give Ideal a try! Xylitol (the main ingredient of Ideal) has a number of health benefits that sugar just can't match. - The Health Benefits of Red Tea
Red tea, also known as rooibos (which is pronounced - Hot Potatoes: The Best of the Wiggles
If you've had a preschooler within the past 20 years, you probably already know about the Wiggles. They are Australia's top earners, and your child's first - How to Breastfeed Discreetly in Public
Most people don't have a problem with women trying to breastfeed their children. There are, however, some people who have a problem with women trying to breastfeed their children in public. - How to Do Your Own Ant Extermination
Its spring, and the ants are out. And because the condo association decided to spray the lawns with some kind of chemical to improve the condition of the grass, the ants are running into all our condos! - How to Make Award-Winning Sugar Cookies
This is a recipe my mother-in-law passed down to me before she died. She entered this recipe in the Kentucky State Fair every year, and one year she actually won - third place. - How to Make a Beaded Ring
This wire-wrapped beaded ring is so easy anyone can do it, and I do mean anyone. Here's how it's done. - How to Make Delicious Low Calorie BBQ Chicken
Most BBQ chicken recipes are high in fat, calories, and sugar. This one isn't. I fell in love with this recipe of my grandmother's the first time I tasted it. I hope you enjoy it, too. - How to Make Your Own Granola
This recipe has a combination of several heart healthy foods. Best of all, it is easy to make and delicious! Even your kids will eat it! Get rid of the bags of greasy chips, try this recipe for Berry Sweet Granola, and improve the health of everyone - How to Not Lose Weight on the Yoplait Diet
What is the Yoplait Diet? Read this hub and find out! Here's the story of how I tried, and failed, to lose weight with the Two-Week Tune-Up Plan. If you follow my example, you can fail to lose the weight, too! - How to Pick Your Own Stocks
This hub is (mostly) written by my husband. He learned several years ago how to pick his own stocks and profit from them, and now you can too! This information will get you off to a great start. - Is My Child Ready to Potty Train?
Is your child ready for potty training? Here are some things to look for! - Kombucha: The Great Detoxifier
Kombucha is a fermented (but non-alcoholic) tea that is usually made by adding a colony of yeast and bacteria to either black or green tea, mixed with sugar. The western world is just now beginning to accept the unusual taste and to take advantage of - Make Your Own Beaded Jewelry
A disappointing Christmas present from my husband turned in to a beloved hobby! This is how I started making my own jewelry and how you can, too. - My Pajama Bible: A Review
This is a review of My Pajama Bible: 30 Bedtime Bible Stories by Andy Holmes. - Retro Family Movie Night: Animated Movies
In this hub, I relive some favorite childhood memories of animated films from the 1980s. These five movies are my top animated picks for a retro family movie night that everyone will enjoy. - Royal Descendants of Katherine Swynford and John of ...
Well, I cant actually say that nobody cared about it because it took place in the 14th century, and I wasnt around then. But I imagine that there wasnt all the same hype present around the marriage of... - Scarborough Fair Bread Machine Cheese Bread
This is a deliciously easy bread machine herb bread recipe that will taste like you slaved for hours to make it. - The Smurfs in 3D
Here is a brief synopsis of the upcoming Smurfs movie and some thoughts on why I loved the 1980s cartoon. - Why the Elderly Need Pets
When we age, our bodies go through a number of changes that can cause both psychological and physical difficulties. Having a pet can significantly reduce these harmful effects.