Nano and What I've Learned this Month So Far
So, I am still plugging away at the Nano. Today was the best day I'd had yet--just about 5k words (give or take, as some tweaking was kinda hard to judge).
These are my stats so far:
Well, I am obviously forever running behind. My estimated date for reaching 50k at my current pace is December 5th. Oh dear. I also need to average over 2100 words a day, which I know, despite my initial determination to do so, I simply can't do...I simply cannot write every single day without my right arm dropping off. Not to mention having the mental capacity. My brain just won't do it, and I've decided to just not worry about it.
Will I make the goal of 50k by November 30th? I really don't know, and I really don't care, because my total word count now for my ms. is almost 65k words. I've got 14 (really 13.5) plotpoints yet to cover, with about half of those promising to be demanding scenes to write (whee!). I am not sure I will finish this ms by the end of the month, but I already count this year's Nanowrimo as a success for me.
Not only will I have or almost-have a completed manuscript, participating in Nano has brought home a few things to me about my writing style and process that I'd forgotten, never knew, or never imagined would work well for me, and all since November 1:
1. All the fancy writing softwares in the world don't work for me as well as just plain ol' Word, combined with Dropbox for storage. Dropbox has been an absolute godsend for me. Not only does it protect my work from cranky computers (or evil thieves, having had computers stolen in the past), I have not had one bit of trouble with Dropbox, I work in my Word document with it directly-stored onto my Dropbox so it is at all times updated and accessible, whether I am at home or work or whatever computer I may be on. Googledocs has also proven enormously useful to me for outlining. So that's it. That's what I use--Word, Dropbox, and Googledocs. Oh yes and Delicious for storing my research link info. HOW did I live without a Delicious account before this? I do not know!
2. I've learned that I too can write crappy first drafts. But I've also learned I can't leave things like that for long, couple days at the most or I will lose that edge-awareness thing, that momentum. My process: check w/my plotpoints on Googledocs for what I need to be sure and include in the next scene, ponder and think about it while driving, showering, folding laundry, staring at the ceiling while the dog tries to lick my face until I am fit to burst with wanting to write it all down. Write the drafty stuff, then the next time I sit down at the computer, after having had time to mull over what I'd written and whether it worked or not (and often it doesn't), go back, rewrite it until it works and then go forward. It is the tortoise-method of writing but it works for me.
4. I need music to write to, and I write best at home, alone, with my music, my huskies, my comfy chair.
5. And okay one more that I can't really blame Nano on. I will just blame blue_fjords and Nick. I've learned that I absolutely love Dean Winchester. I know, right? But seriously, that newfound love has helped me tremendously in writing my character Lee. This is kinda weird, yeah, but not really...watching SPN marathon-style like N and I did, I found myself working the details of Dean's personality that I really liked (the good and the bad, which he has plenty of) into Lee, pretty much without realizing it. Before then, he'd been flat and boring to me, one of those dreaded cardboard characters, and I felt terribly out of touch with him. Dean Winchester helped me get into touch with my own character. From here on out, I will approach character-creation a bit differently. Gev, interestingly (to me at least) has always been a breeze to write. Why? A ballet dancer, he was directly-inspired by real ballet dancers that I'd seen live, and also dancers from So You Think You Can Dance (and that is where I got the basic characterization for Gev--from a Russian-born dancer named, well, Gev).
So, to all the Nano-haters who feel Nano is a serious waste of time and energy and teaches writers nothing, I say bunk. Sure has taught me alot this year, yup indeed. I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning and hit the keyboard again! But first, I need to do some ceiling-staring and think through what I want/need to write next.
Has Nano taught you anything new about yourself and your writing? I'd love to know.
These are my stats so far:
Well, I am obviously forever running behind. My estimated date for reaching 50k at my current pace is December 5th. Oh dear. I also need to average over 2100 words a day, which I know, despite my initial determination to do so, I simply can't do...I simply cannot write every single day without my right arm dropping off. Not to mention having the mental capacity. My brain just won't do it, and I've decided to just not worry about it.
Will I make the goal of 50k by November 30th? I really don't know, and I really don't care, because my total word count now for my ms. is almost 65k words. I've got 14 (really 13.5) plotpoints yet to cover, with about half of those promising to be demanding scenes to write (whee!). I am not sure I will finish this ms by the end of the month, but I already count this year's Nanowrimo as a success for me.
Not only will I have or almost-have a completed manuscript, participating in Nano has brought home a few things to me about my writing style and process that I'd forgotten, never knew, or never imagined would work well for me, and all since November 1:
1. All the fancy writing softwares in the world don't work for me as well as just plain ol' Word, combined with Dropbox for storage. Dropbox has been an absolute godsend for me. Not only does it protect my work from cranky computers (or evil thieves, having had computers stolen in the past), I have not had one bit of trouble with Dropbox, I work in my Word document with it directly-stored onto my Dropbox so it is at all times updated and accessible, whether I am at home or work or whatever computer I may be on. Googledocs has also proven enormously useful to me for outlining. So that's it. That's what I use--Word, Dropbox, and Googledocs. Oh yes and Delicious for storing my research link info. HOW did I live without a Delicious account before this? I do not know!
2. I've learned that I too can write crappy first drafts. But I've also learned I can't leave things like that for long, couple days at the most or I will lose that edge-awareness thing, that momentum. My process: check w/my plotpoints on Googledocs for what I need to be sure and include in the next scene, ponder and think about it while driving, showering, folding laundry, staring at the ceiling while the dog tries to lick my face until I am fit to burst with wanting to write it all down. Write the drafty stuff, then the next time I sit down at the computer, after having had time to mull over what I'd written and whether it worked or not (and often it doesn't), go back, rewrite it until it works and then go forward. It is the tortoise-method of writing but it works for me.
4. I need music to write to, and I write best at home, alone, with my music, my huskies, my comfy chair.
5. And okay one more that I can't really blame Nano on. I will just blame blue_fjords and Nick. I've learned that I absolutely love Dean Winchester. I know, right? But seriously, that newfound love has helped me tremendously in writing my character Lee. This is kinda weird, yeah, but not really...watching SPN marathon-style like N and I did, I found myself working the details of Dean's personality that I really liked (the good and the bad, which he has plenty of) into Lee, pretty much without realizing it. Before then, he'd been flat and boring to me, one of those dreaded cardboard characters, and I felt terribly out of touch with him. Dean Winchester helped me get into touch with my own character. From here on out, I will approach character-creation a bit differently. Gev, interestingly (to me at least) has always been a breeze to write. Why? A ballet dancer, he was directly-inspired by real ballet dancers that I'd seen live, and also dancers from So You Think You Can Dance (and that is where I got the basic characterization for Gev--from a Russian-born dancer named, well, Gev).
So, to all the Nano-haters who feel Nano is a serious waste of time and energy and teaches writers nothing, I say bunk. Sure has taught me alot this year, yup indeed. I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning and hit the keyboard again! But first, I need to do some ceiling-staring and think through what I want/need to write next.
Has Nano taught you anything new about yourself and your writing? I'd love to know.