It's Finally Over.
Day 26: 1.6k; 43.3k
Day 27: 1.6k; 45k
Day 28: 1.6k; 46.6k
Day 29: 1.6k; 48.3k
Day 30: 1.6k; 50k
I did it. I thought November would never end. But then it did. This has been the single most difficult nano I've ever completed. I stepped out of my comfort zone with The Naked Eye, but apparently when I'm not comfortable with what I'm writing, I don't care about what I'm writing. I spent some time looking through the chronicles of my previous nanos and there have been quite a few lowlights, but they were always counteracted by highlights. It was always, I hate my plot, but I love my characters.
Now that I think about it, I don't think it was the comfort zone that destroyed this. I always love my characters. I love writing character-driven stories and if I don't love my characters then I don't love or have the potential to love my story. For this, it was like I went through all the motions of other nanos. Some days were easier to write than others. Around week two things got difficult and I was barely reaching my goal if I even did make my goal. And then towards the end, I had an epiphany and things fell into place and the words were a little bit easier and I sort of knew where I was heading. It was all the same, like I have a mental schedule for doing nano.
But I did not like my story at any point during this. I never really like my main character, though at one point I thought I could see something in her that I might be able to enjoy if I cultivate it, but that withered and died. The character that I thought I would love never actually made it into the story and I'm not the type who can just skip ahead to a favorite part. I'm a pantser, so skipping ahead would just leave me stranded, lost and confused. The two characters that I enjoyed the most had their personalities hideously warped by the plot and by the time I noticed I was too emotionally drained to try to do anything about it. The few characters that maintained their personalities throughout and that I didn't have trouble writing were minor characters that showed up maybe once every 10k.
I wrote 50k this month. 50k of a novel I cannot stand and I don't anticipate every enjoying even with some time apart. I wrote 50k and it took me all 50k and ten words and then this post to realize something about myself. I almost feel like this was a wasted month, but I just have to hold onto my new knowledge.
*If, as I am writing, I find I cannot love my main character or at least who I intend him or her to be, I'm better off giving that novel up for a loss and trying something else.*
Did anyone else learn anything during this nano or nanos past? Was it worth the heartache?
Day 27: 1.6k; 45k
Day 28: 1.6k; 46.6k
Day 29: 1.6k; 48.3k
Day 30: 1.6k; 50k
I did it. I thought November would never end. But then it did. This has been the single most difficult nano I've ever completed. I stepped out of my comfort zone with The Naked Eye, but apparently when I'm not comfortable with what I'm writing, I don't care about what I'm writing. I spent some time looking through the chronicles of my previous nanos and there have been quite a few lowlights, but they were always counteracted by highlights. It was always, I hate my plot, but I love my characters.
Now that I think about it, I don't think it was the comfort zone that destroyed this. I always love my characters. I love writing character-driven stories and if I don't love my characters then I don't love or have the potential to love my story. For this, it was like I went through all the motions of other nanos. Some days were easier to write than others. Around week two things got difficult and I was barely reaching my goal if I even did make my goal. And then towards the end, I had an epiphany and things fell into place and the words were a little bit easier and I sort of knew where I was heading. It was all the same, like I have a mental schedule for doing nano.
But I did not like my story at any point during this. I never really like my main character, though at one point I thought I could see something in her that I might be able to enjoy if I cultivate it, but that withered and died. The character that I thought I would love never actually made it into the story and I'm not the type who can just skip ahead to a favorite part. I'm a pantser, so skipping ahead would just leave me stranded, lost and confused. The two characters that I enjoyed the most had their personalities hideously warped by the plot and by the time I noticed I was too emotionally drained to try to do anything about it. The few characters that maintained their personalities throughout and that I didn't have trouble writing were minor characters that showed up maybe once every 10k.
I wrote 50k this month. 50k of a novel I cannot stand and I don't anticipate every enjoying even with some time apart. I wrote 50k and it took me all 50k and ten words and then this post to realize something about myself. I almost feel like this was a wasted month, but I just have to hold onto my new knowledge.
*If, as I am writing, I find I cannot love my main character or at least who I intend him or her to be, I'm better off giving that novel up for a loss and trying something else.*
Did anyone else learn anything during this nano or nanos past? Was it worth the heartache?