December has arrived! And with its coming, my first ever NaNo has passed.
I did not emerge a "winner," but you know what? I'm alright with that. :] Really! I am. Admittedly, I'm a little disappointed - sure. But I am content that I actually WROTE nearly every day (19,657 words total - *COUGH*). The word count truly doesn't matter. It's your reaction to the result of your diligence and perseverance at the end of this fun 30-day challenge.
There were many evenings where I found myself stressing out over the realization that I wasn't going to possibly be able to make it to 50k, no matter how much tireless effort I put into it. But thanks to my dear husband and his encouraging and uplifting words, I pressed on, wrote on the days I could, and had fun. What it all boils down to is this: your attitude when December 1st rolls around. You can either be a complete and utter failure in whether you wrote 500 or 49,500 words, OR you can be a winner no matter your word count. I speak to the those who gave their best but didn't make it to 50k, but I also speak to the winners who reached that goal and even went above and beyond:
Well done, each of you!!
Well done, each of you!!
Did you have fun? Did you give your best to achieve the goal? And if you did not make it to 50k, will you continue through this month of December in order to at least finish the first draft?
For me, I desire to finish the first draft of Noya by the end of December. I find that it assists me greatly to have a deadline to go by - otherwise, I procrastinate horribly and nothing gets done. Can anyone relate?? BUT my writing is not a top priority as this past month of November has taught me. What with the completion of a church drama finishing up the first week of November, followed by a two-day catering gig, a trip to New England to share Thanksgiving with my hubby's family, and then caring for said hubby when he came down with a nasty head cold - Life tends to take top tier on my everyday list of to-dos.
Despite reality butting its uber-cumbersome head in my rather peaceful way, I'd like to share three things that helped me survive my first NaNo, even though I did not reach 50k, and what I've learned on this wild ride.
Ever heard of the Five Love Languages? Well, one of mine is Words of Affirmation (Encouragement). I don't know where I would be in life without my friends and family, who have encouraged me over the years and expressed their pride and love to me. The same goes for my writing. I could not write a single word, or progress any further in a story, without the encouragement I receive from my husband, family, and friends (bloggy friends included!). I can literally say that's how I've survived this NaNo and not wilted into a soggy mess of tears with a cloud of failure hanging over me. My husband, Evan, was so gracious to me during those thirty days, especially when he did not fully understand at first why I so wanted to do it. Writing is a passion and something I truly love to do. I don't know what lays in store for the future with Noya, but I do know it's not over yet!
Have you ever noticed just how much power words possess? NaNo may have passed, but life goes on. As you continue in your story, whether that's editing or completing your first draft, don't forget that encouragement goes a long way. Are you one who has difficulty sharing your stories with others? Maybe that's the little nudge you need to plow ahead. Share! And welcome the feedback - good and critical. That's what will grow you as a writer. And what will add to your characters!
Encouragement is necessary in everything.
So. . . Unfortunately, I am one who procrastinates, however unwillingly. . . This could be with ANYTHING - be it cleaning the shower, reading my Bible and devotions, or making the time to write every day. I'm not saying that I intentionally procrastinated with NaNo this year, but there were several evenings where I collapsed into bed exhausted - void of strength in fingers and mind to type out enough words to add to my word count. Other evenings, I would sit simply wondering where to begin next. I know I wrote several chapters that I may never use in the final draft, but at least I wrote something, right? "Never underestimate the power of piffle, my girl. I expect even the strong-minded. . .shan't be able to resist it forever." (Drew Farthering, Death by the Book)
Diligence plays a huge part in the art of novel-ing. Ask any author! One must put in the effort and the TIME to see progress. There may be times where you simply sit and think about the story for a good fifteen minutes before anything finds its way to the keyboard. To say the least, that happened with me a couple different times. But if I was patient and allowed my mind to find the will and creativity that lurks just beneath the surface (a writer's mind can be simultaneously awesome and scary), the words came! I was very pleased on my wordiest day when I wrote a little over 3k on the long, sixteen-hour drive back home from New England. (Normally, I tend to get a little carsick when writing or reading in an automobile. . . I know, it's a CURSE. But for some reason, I dished out that many words on the ride and, needless to say, was exceptionally pleased.)
"Failure is never final or fatal, as long as you fail forward."
- Robert Petterson -
Come November, I set my eyes on the distant, ultimate goal of 50k, but I decided early on (rather, before the challenge began on November 1st) to have a slight change in goal. And that was to have FUN, no matter the outcome. Ever since my senior year of high school, when my siblings and I took a writing class hosted by my now-mother-in-law (I do believe God has a sense of humor), I discovered a passion for writing. I suppose I'd always had a desire to write stories, thanks to my own love for books, their authors, and inspiration to create my own worlds. But it wasn't until that class that I actually learned how. Don't get me wrong, I knew English grammar and spelling and all that it entails, but that class was an enlightening, eye-opening one for me. And it was that same year that the idea for my official WIP, Safia, came to be. {Thank you, Mama Char, for teaching my siblings and I!} With all that said, I was determined to enjoy this NaNo, give my best, and see what would happen. A writer's mentality is dreadfully important, y'all. You have to know what you desire, see the ultimate goal, and PURSUE it. I may not have done so 110%, but I did have fun, and am itching to finish my faerietale retelling.
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WHAT'S NEXT
As mentioned above, I'm hoping to complete the first draft of Noya by the end of December. If/when that happens, I want to make a point to take at least a month off before beginning the editing/re-reading process. I believe it would give me the space and ability to come at it with fresh eyes and mind.
With that said, here's what I've learned since starting NaNo:
- I've learned a great deal more of my characters and their personalities.
- I've dabbled with the unpredictable and it's blown the story into a whole new level. . . I mean, things I wouldn't even THINK of putting in a story of mine, I've kind of haphazardly thrown in. . .
- I've learned in Fantasy, you can do ANYTHING. (Is the vague-ness killing you yet??)
- I've learned to expound on the point of views of three different characters.
- I've fallen in love with my Griffin, Baradil. *^ _ ^*
- I've found the Beast is such a tragic, temperamental sort of character who (I hope) readers will love.
- I've learned again and again that I still have SO MUCH to learn about this thing called writing.
- But I've learned to enjoy the entire process. And I'm not yet done!
If you've made it to the end, I salute you, O Ye Who Has Persevered! Did you partake in the NaNo challenge this year? Will you next year? I hope to, but who knows what life has in store. For now, I shall be content to write on my own and in my own time. But what of you? What was the one thing you've learned this NaNo?
Also,
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. . .
Happy week, y'all! Talk soon. :]
Beautiful post, Sarah!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed NaNo and got some progress on Noya!
Definitely agree with you on the diligence. I've been slacking off on writing because of LIFE and it's really starting to show.
Really? Words of Affirmation is my second love language!
And yes, I agree that God really does have a sense of humor :).
Catherine
catherinesrebellingmuse.blogspot.com
This whole post made me happy and was so uplifting! You did AWESOME with NaNo, girl! It sounds like you had a fullll plate, but you managed to write 20k words anyway, which is A LOT OF WORDS. I'm so happy for you! *throws confetti and makes cupcakes*
ReplyDeleteAll your advice is so, SO spot on! Words of Affirmation is my love language too! I used to be so secretive with my writing, but once I made writing friends I got more and more out of my shell, and now I THRIVE off encouragement about my writing. It's such an important thing. Writing should never be a lonely job!
I looove your thoughts on looking at your ultimate goal and fully pursuing it. THAT IS SO TRUE. I tend to get lost in wordcounts and stress and forget that I write because I love it! It's as simple as that. Thank you for this reminder. I needed it!
Your story just sounds so lovely. I hope writing the rest of it will go wonderfully! And that you have a happy December! :D
Catherine: Thanks so much, girlie! I know exactly what you mean about LIFE. But as my hubby says often, "It is what it is." :] All's we can do is make the most of our time! Wow! That's pretty neat about the Love Language - it baffles me that it's so true. And yes! don't you love it that God has a sense of humor? Life would be rather dull if He didn't. Thanks for commenting, m'dear! Have a lovely week!!
ReplyDeleteLauri: *takes HUGE bite of yummy cupcake* Awwww, thank you, dear Lauri!! You are too kind! That means a lot to me. :] I know what you mean about being secretive in sharing your stories. I was always so worried about what people (my family especially) might think, and that the story would turn out HORRIBLY. But that's not the case. We NEED to share, otherwise, our stories will be rather dull without some kind of input. Ditto! Writing should never be lonely! You are most welcome, m'dear. I'm so glad this post has blessed you. Happy December!! <3
*throws confetti* I'm so happy for you for making it to 19K! That's a lot of progress, especially since your November was so busy! I'm glad you had fun with your project this month, despite the stress. :) *hugs* It's easy to see it's a story you're passionate about and I've no doubt you can meet all your goals for it, dearie!
ReplyDeleteAwesome job on a 3K day! I have trouble writing and reading in the car for the same reason (so not-fun!), but it is nice when those moments can be used for creative things. Traveling is one of the most inspiring things in the world!
"You have to know what you desire, see the ultimate goal, and PURSUE it." YES! This is so true.
Noya sounds like such a fun book. I'm so intrigued by all these little hints about the story!