Things I've Learned From NaNoWriMo

I've done it.

Take a look at my NaNo badge over in my sidebar --------->

Yes! I have officially written 50,000 words in 30 days (well, actually, 26 days)!

I can't believe that I wrote over 6100 words today. That is an all-time, all-life high.

When I signed up for NaNo, I did not didn't really think I would win. It would be just for fun, just to write.

But here I am, amazed. And even though everything I wrote is going to sound like total crap when I read it over and begin to edit come December, at least I managed to pump out 50k words in one month. Even though my actual story has veered, totally and completely, away from the original idea, I still love every word I have written.

I have learned to push myself. To reach the goals I set. To actually set goals for myself.

I have learned to just write, because you can't edit a blank page. To just write, no matter what, because first drafts never get published anyways - it's the fifth, or fifteenth, or even fiftieth, that do.

I have learned not to write too many contractions (I had to keep reminding myself, as I wrote this post, to write I've instead of I have or can't instead of can not).

If anyone asked me about NaNoWriMo, about deciding whether they should participate in it, I would definitely say yes. Even if you do not don't win, it's an exhilarating experience. It's thirty days and nights of literary abandon. 

Good luck to all fellow WriMos who aren't done yet- you can do it!

A Perfect Combination

Does anyone else listen to music as they write? Anyone?
 
I do. I used to never, ever, ever, EVER listen to music when I was writing. Never, with twenty million capital N's. But now?

Yea. Of course I do. And it's amazing. I find myself being able to churn out more words for NaNo each day if I listen to music streaming very loudly into my ears on my iPod. Without music, I used to pause every few minutes and check my word count, stop every so often to think and try to concentrate, stop and just plain dawdle.

But with music? It covers just about every annoying sound that exists so that I can just concentrate and smash out words on my laptop. Just write and write and write and write without caring that my dog is whining for attention or that the vacuum cleaner is running or, hey, is that a tornado outside? (Joking about that last one)

Like, today, I have not only reached the required cumulative and daily word count - I'm above it! That is so exciting because, for the record, I've usually been behind the goal. Plus, I am more than HALFWAY through the 50,000 words! Yay!

But it has to be the right music. Through the past couple of days I have developed my perfect Writing Playlist. It has songs that inspire me to pound everything out:

Playlist.com didn't have a couple of the songs in my playlist (ELT by Wilco, Johhny Johnny by Avalanche, Land of make believe by Buck Fizz, and the version of Sound of Silence by Audiofeels).

PS: Check out my footer navigation buttons (Home, Older Posts, Newer Posts). I just customized them so that they are images instead of just plain old words.

Writing Madly

When I signed up for NaNoWriMo, I never expected it to be so darn fun. It is, and so exciting, exhilarating, and.... wow. Just wow.

I finally have the inspiration to just write, without worrying about whether this makes sense or this doesn't. In the course of 11 days, my story has changed so much from what I'd thought it would be. I've found the plot veering totally away from anything even remotely resembling my original idea. Suddenly one character is dead and there is a little romance stirring up (that last one was sort of inevitable, it's something I've wanted to write about for ages).

I am the one typing the words, but those words - they control me. I obey them and follow what they will me to do, and that weaves the story.

I feel like calling my main character, Vesna, on the phone and chatting about what our worlds are like and how they are so vastly different . I'd love to hear what she'd have to say, but of course, that would be all up to me. And I'm excited to keep writing and adding onto my story.

So, goodbye for now. I am 4,610 words behind and chugging strongly to catch up. Good luck to all fellow writers!

Procrastination

Here, I am, procrastination.You are way too addicting. Waaaaaay too addicting.

I mean, I really should be working on NaNo. I'm just about 4,000 words behind. But instead, I am doing random blogging stuff that doesn't do me, or anyone, any good (or do anyone anything at all).

Plus, I've sort of hit a blank in my writing. I was furiously typing, typing, typing, typing... until I looked up and thought, WTF? Where am I going? This makes zero sense. And where did this come from?

To put it shortly, what I've wrote is total and complete crap. Most of it, at least. I try not to edit in between writing, but sometimes, the inner me takes over.... *grins sheepishly*.... and turns out what I wrote is the most random words ever strung together by a 13-year-old girl.

But then I realize that NaNoWriMo isn't about writing picture-perfect, cookie-cutter sort of stories. (It also isn't about writing crap). NaNo is all about writing, and just being motivated to scrawl down some words whether they end up erased or published or just stay sitting there.

So I am off, friends, to continue my attempt at 50,000 words in just 23 more days.

*PS: I have decided that everyone who enters/has entered my giveaway will win a prize (a complete makeover). 

NaNoWriMo 2010

I signed up for NaNoWriMo this year, hoping to be inspired and write.

I had been bursting with ideas for the past few weeks, and raring to get going. Thinking, 'November, just get here already!'

But now that November has got here......

Well, welcome, writer's block! It just arrived at this very, very opportune moment of November first.

I only managed to get a few lines down before my mind hit a total and complete blank. I can barely find the words to write this darn blog post! I don't even know if what I wrote is relevant to my novel-to-be or not:

  

"Somewhere in the coming night, a girl’s bicycle crashed to a stop.

Somewhere, hands circled a neck and squeezed, squeezed till their grip failed – till they and the head that neck had supported fell limply to the side. 

Somewhere, a scream pierced the darkness and tears of disbelief fell like suicide. 

And somewhere, somehow, the girl got up and mounted her bicycle, unaware of what the world had become."

I only hope that I will get inspired soon! In the meantime, as I try to focus on writing, I am taking a break from Blogger. I may occasionally check in and read your blogs, but not every day. Good luck, fellow WriMos! 


(PS: Buddy me!)