NaNoWriMo or Thirty Days of Writing Madness
Me and NaNoWriMo, becoming friends
You see, as far as I can remember being around the Internet, there was always someone who had been trying their hand on NaNoWriMo; discussing plots, word count, lack of muse, the amount of days they still have to finish, what should their novel actually be about and so on.
And in January 2013 I decided to try to look for some more information about this NaNoWriMo.
Searching for more information actually proved to be quite easy - but it's one thing to read something about the 'comptetition', and another to speak about it with someone who actually joined the madness named NaNoWriMo.
So I kept asking around. And the responses I got were very positive - people who obviously took part in the challenge sometimes didn't finish their novel on time, but stil felt it worth their time. I even got a book recommendation (which I add at the bottom of this Hub), and while I haven't managed to read it from cover to cover yet, what I've read was definitely worth reading.
My mind was set, then. On November 1 I will start writing like crazy.
How little did I know about the typing madness back then! But for more, you will have to continue reading, I'm afraid.
More To NaNoWriMo
- NaNoWriMo Official Page
Where you sign up and join the community; together with your persona profile and access to NaNoWriMo forums, where you can chat with other crazies, pardon, novelists. - National Novel Writing Month
Article about the challenge on Wikipedia. Tells about history of the whole project, rules and community.
First Ten Days
Day 1
The first day of goodness named NaNoWriMo; something I had been waiting for months to begin. But it’s just my luck that all those months of preparations are obviously going to fly out of the window, because just few days ago a cousin, who will be going abroad for several months, announced her visit, and in the end, we got two for price of one – the other cousin came for a visit as well, so see this thing that just flew out of the window? That was my motivation to write.
From the amount of words I’m supposed to write per day, I managed to type only about one third. This makes the whole month looking damn bleak.
Day 2
Today I finally hit the limit I was supposed to write yesterday. Second day of the challenge and I’m already failing. Sniff.
Day 3
Today I typed only about 800 words. That makes my total number so far only 2238 words. Out of 50 000, it sure is not as much as I hoped I would be able to write. Oh well.
Day 4
Only managed to type slightly over 1000 words today. This really is not looking as good as I hoped. What the heck happened to all the great ideas I had planned for this?!
Day 5
I’m starting to get the feeling the shorter the time to the deadline is, the less words I’m able to type. Only about 600 today. Huh. No wonder the ideas get stuck somewhere in my head, if my fingers can’t type better than that.
Day 6
Did I complain about typing only about 600 words just yesterday? Scratch that – I think now I can complain even more than yesterday. Only 60 words today. I’m almost ashamed to look at the word count. It says 4395 words so far. From the recommended 10000 words… well, not even half. In case someone is wondering, I’m cringing here.
Day 7
Typed only about 600 words again. I think my fingers fail to realize that the recommended word count per day is 1667, not just 667. Fingers, I’m talking to you – in case you are wondering, you are supposed to type more than one thousand words more. Really.
Day 8
Not a word typed this day. I just stare at the screen, fingers poised above the keyboard and not a single letter I type goes into the document I have created for my NaNoWriMo project. I really hope I will get better – would be a bad luck to start my journey through NaNoWriMo years by a complete and utter failure.
Day 9
1001 words typed today. I feel so proud of myself, even if there is not much to be proud about really. But hey – minor successes are also successes. That’s at least what I tell to myself.
Day 10
Over 1400 words today. Wow. I’m starting to improve. I was proud of myself yesterday? Holy cow, I feel damn proud of myself today.
Next Ten Days
Day 11
Probably the first day I actually managed to type the recommended number of words per day. That makes my total so far be 9016 words. Not even half of what the recommended word count is. 18333 words should be typed already. Ahem.
Day 12
Over 1000 words typed today. Not as good as I hoped, but sure as hell not as bad as I feared. So far, this whole thing is making me really feel like a woman – I seem to be unable to make my mind about, well, everything related to my novel. I think so far, this thing is giving the Dilbert rule of “turtles stampeding through peanut butter” speed a whole new meaning.
Day 13
Well, the number 13 is supposed to be unlucky but surprisingly, I’ve managed to get my number of words. So far, I’m quite content with what I wrote, even if I started to jump in the plot like a grasshopper on caffeine – but hey, who cares about that right now. It’s typing words – who cares where exactly in the story these words are?
Day 14
Today I had a dream of actually being ahead up in the writing schedule. Oh the wistful thinking, since I’m actually about 9k words behind the schedule.
Day 15
Well, today marks the journey halfway to the 50k of words. And now comes the fun – today I typed only slightly over 200 words, which so far makes me be nearly 16k behind the recommended posting schedule. I would be ashamed of myself, if I wasn’t so depressed about it.
Day 16
Not a word typed today. Too much work to do, and too little motivation.
Day 17
Another day of not a single word typed into my document. Tomorrow I’m due to have two presentations, so the story is in the background of everything I do today. By the way, did you know that the Christmas Truce from Christmas 1914 actually repeated itself several times during the war, only not in such a range, rather in single cases? I didn’t. Also, it was obviously started by Germans. Sounds a bit ironic to me, the urging for temporary truce coming from those who actually started the war? Colour me surprised. But at the same time I can’t help but be a bit awed that the soldiers were still humans enough to stop fighting for at least a short time.
Day 18
Got the presentations done. Finally. I hate presenting in front of the class, especially since everyone looks to be so interested in what I’m saying. At least I got really good points score for them.
Wrote only about 300 words today. My head hurts.
Day 19
Managed to get the daily limit finally again some day. I’m stressing myself over the number of words I should have written to be following the schedule, but my brain and my fingers refuse to cooperate as much as I would like them to. Anyone else having the urge to yell “THAT IS AN OUTRAGE!” ? No? So it’s just me feeling like Ambassador Udina from Mass Effect?
Day 20
Yay, finally managed to meet my daily word count again. It sure shouldn’t be such an accomplishment, really, just 1667 words, what can be so difficult about typing them?
Sometimes I really hate that this time I wanted to write a compact text, and not a collection of unrelated works. Would have probably worked much better. Ugh.
Last Ten Days
Day 21
I really should start working harder on that novel of mine. Only nine more days to go, and I do not have even 20k words. I think I hate the recommended word count per day, mostly because I seem to be unable to actually type it away.
One thousand, six hundred and sixty-seven words. I hate every single one of you, just so you know.
Day 22
I feel like such a failure, when I look at today’s word count. But really, unreached word count, I feel for you.
Day 23
Seriously, why do I even bother? It’s not like the world would end, if I don’t manage to type 50k words at the end of the month, right?
RIGHT?!
Day 24
Wow. I can’t believe I managed to type so many words today. Somehow, it energized me so much that I feel that I actually may make it.
Day 25
Finally overcame the recommended word count I should reach by day 15. Oh well. Better late than never, yes?
Day 26
Over 30k words today. Wow, wow, wow. In four days I’m supposed to still type nearly 20k words. Do my fingers even type that quick?
Day 27
I can’t believe I typed 4k words today. Really, words, where have you been during those first two, no, three weeks of No-bloody-vember?!
Day 28
Nearly 5k words today. People keep on trying to draw me away, but I feel like the squirrel from Ice Age in one of the promo videos, named ‘No time for nuts’. Go away, dammit! Can’t you see I have NaNoWriMo novel to finish?!
Day 29
Not even 3k words today, which makes me rather nervous. I wanted to type at least twice as much, but somehow I kept on being drawn to other, equally important things (at least people tell me so). What does that mean? Either I manage to type 7200 words tomorrow, or all the hard work of last days will be for naught.
That definitely sounds scary.
Day 30
So, it’s Saturday today. That means a lot of time, right?
Right.
For most of the time I’m teetering at the edge of hysteria that I won’t manage to finish the limit in time. Because, in case you do not know, 7,2k words in a day is quite a lot.
Dammit.
Next time – if there is a next time, that’s it – I’m going to grab the bloody Muse, and glue her to the nearest chair, adding some duct tape just in case, to keep her from escaping.
In the end, it shows that I really work best under pressure, because when I run the word count at 23:35 of local time, I swear I see the rainbows coming up behind the windows.
The word count says 50071.
Yoohoo! I swear that if it wasn’t so late (or so early, depending on how you view things), I would have screamed at seeing that number. Right now, I just stare at the screen, ready to tear up at the view.
I. Did. It.
I DID IT!
I think I scared my guinea pig nearly out of her skin, when I jumped from the chair and started pouncing all around the room, waving my arms around like a windmill and mimicking screams. Sorry, my dear furball, but right now, I'm too busy celebrating.
To Sum Things Up
1) It is possible to write under pressure and on demand (although the quality sure as hell will be rather questionable at times).
2) It is possible to type 7k words per day (but say farewell to doing anything else).
3) The nearest store, where you buy your coffee, will love you during the NaNoWriMo.
4) You either start to publish your novel somewhere, or you will forever be afraid of opening that single document ever again. Because of reasons.
5) The inspiration will always hit you in the least appropriate moment. Like when you are in the shower, in desperate need of falling asleep or in the middle of lecture.
6) The work on your novel makes Hercule’s trials seem like trifle, but the ending sure is sweet.
