#NaNoWriMo got me this year

If I haven't mentioned it already, I went crazy and somehow wrote two novels this year

without realizing it. One happened through determination to tell a story I had in my head for years, but couldn't get to. The other came up due to a burning desire to explore a character based on a man I fell in love with but who is unattainable to me. As November approached, I started wondering if I should take part in NaNoWriMo this year, the task of writing a 50,00 word novel in one month. If you're wondering, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and it's been going on since 1999.

It works out to about 1,667 words a day, everyday for 30 days straight. I've never been a big fan of having a daily writing quota so I've never taken part. So when I started thinking about it, I realized I had written two books already and thought, I for sure, did not need a third. But then, this year's been weird, just like 2020 and then I thought why not? I only live once and maybe it would be something that propelled me to a really great book super fast, and if I liked it, then I might do it every year hereafter. Right?

Well as of today, November 20th, I have a little over 30,000 words and we have 10 days left. I've been so devoted to the daily word count that I forgot to make a post, this post, back on Thursday when I was scheduled for it. Completely forgot!

Anyways, it's been an interesting experience, forcing myself to sit down at my laptop every night after work to get my quota down on the page. Sure there's been days where I found that I couldn't burn the right candle to write, or I needed to do the laundry first, or check out that new trailer for the upcoming movie I wanted to see, but those excuses always pop up here and there no matter what writing goals I currently have. The good thing about this process is that at this pace, I don't have much time to second guess my ideas, I'm just jumping on them as soon as I get them and go with it. So no self doubt wondering if I should try for a different idea. And the bad thing about this pace, is that it's two weeks less than my normal pace and right about now, I can feel it. Granted, in six weeks I actually have a whole novel in a first draft status at the end. That means somewhere between eighty to hundred thousand words and here in about a week, I'll only have the rough start to a novel, so I'll still have to conceivably continue writing after the month's over.

So has my experience been worth it? So far, I'd say yes, for one thing, I can at least say I tried it, and two the NaNoWriMo community really does offer a lot of support throughout the process so you never feel alone. There have been days where I've completely lost steam, and the words of encouragement from the community members have picked up my spirits and reenergized me.

So I will deem it, an early success. My only real complaint is why choose November? With the holidays starting and so many other demands made on us towards the end of the year, why not choose August? That's a slow month for me and it even has an extra day! I'm already indoors most of the month because it's so hot and humid out here in Arizona during that time and there's zero holidays.

Come to think of it, maybe I will do NaNoWriMo again next year, but in August.

#fictionalcomfortfood #writinglife #novel