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I’ve been (in)actively participating in NaNoWriMo this year. This is my first time participating, and the circumstances aren’t ideal. I am moving at the end of the month and have no internet access at home at the moment, so I can’t keep my word count up to date. I’m packing and cleaning a lot of the time. I write at work during lunch and have to type up all the things I write whenever I get access to a computer.
Writing 50,000 words by hand, then typing them out while preparing to move to another city would be hard enough to do if I wasn’t a chronic perfectionist. I keep taking out words that aren’t necessary or cross out phrases to say things more succintly. I can’t make myself skip around in the story when I get stuck in a scene. I have to write in a linear fashion most of the time. I can’t get through a first draft without proofreading. It’s a sickness.
The good thing about this whole process is that it’s gotten me back into the habit of writing daily. I may not meet the word count each day, may fail at the 50,000 word count goal, but I’m writing daily, writing a story that I care about and that’s a lot of fun.
This is my first attempt at chick lit, and I am enjoying it. I don’t have many of the clichés and the story is quite complex. I’m happy with the level of writing I’m doing (even though it is a first draft and I’m rushing, I have some really good things written already). I love turning to the spot where I left off, and falling back down that hole in the page, revisiting these characters.
I saved a story from the DOA pile to try for this NaNoWriMo thing. I started over from scratch with just four characters and a sticky situation, and it’s been evolving ever since. I hope to share more details with you as this journey unfolds.
Other NaNoWriMo participants, what are you learning about yourself as a writer this go around? Would also love some encouragement!
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Copywrite1985 
This is my first year participating in NaNoWriMo and it’s been quite an experience. I think it’s really showed me who I am as a writer and what I’m capable of. I work best under pressure so it’s been fun trying to make the word counts (even though I don’t always meet them either..). I’ve learned not to really stress over it, but really let go and have fun. That’s the most important part. Having fun and meeting other people who are experiencing the same thing!
I’m trying to learn to just let go and have fun, but it isn’t the easiest thing for me to do yet. The word count is taunting me. I love a challenge, though–and I think if you have a good story idea you want to see unfold and have characters you care about, it becomes less like a chore and more like visiting with good friends.
I hope your NaNoWriMo journey continues to go well and you continue to learn from it.Thanks for commenting! 😀