NaNo: the half-way point

[the_moonmoth]

I am still really, genuinely surprised at how well it's going. I got behind yesterday for the first time, because I flaked out after a bad night's sleep and watched Scandal for several hours instead of writing. But today, I got it all back. I've never written this much, this quickly, and I honestly didn't think I could do it. I thought I would give

Comments

[the_moonmoth]

Thank you ! And yep, I'm on my trellis ;D

[ladytp]

Just curious; based on your experience so far - and yes, admittedly NaNoWriMo is a hard push with a fixed word requirement in one month - do you think it feasible to be a writer while also working elsewhere? (not that I contemplate anything like that, heavens forbid!). Yet I am curious if the myth of a writer who slogs away with her/his masterpiece after day's work and family commitments and actually gets it finished in a reasonable time is just a myth...

And thanks for sharing the experience! I always knew this to be the case in scientific writing, but to also hear its usefulness in creative writing is nice!

[the_moonmoth]

Well... I didn't manage it when I was working, but that's only partly down to hours and stress. I think the novel itself had some issues, not least the fact that I didn't know where to take it beyond a certain point. But if I had prepared better, then I think I probably could have managed it. I mean, people do NaNo every year with jobs and kids etc. and yes it's only one month out of the year, but I think it's also about forming good habits. If you set yourself a monthly target of say, 15,000 words, that's only 500 per day, and in 5 - 6 months you've got your first draft.

TBH I think the most important thing when setting out to write a novel is the planning stage. It's even more important imo than outright inspiration. Having a plan keeps you focussed and helps keep your momentum going. That's the main thing I've learnt from NaNo this year :)

[ladytp]

Thanks! Planning, check; outline, check - makes sense!

[the_moonmoth]

Sooooo, what's it about? :D