Happy December!
Christmas is coming, which is my favorite time of the year! As you may know, I set out to write 50,000 words for the month of November. This was the first time I’ve ever participated in National Novel Writing Month, and I wanted to share my experience with you. But first I want to thank everyone who followed my writing journey this November and who sent words of encouragement. And thank you Mom for keeping such a good eye on me this November, making sure I got to bed before midnight, taking care of me when I was sick, and watching the dogs while I sat for hours on end doing homework, going to class, and writing. You’re the best!
Now, without further ado, here’s what I learned from participating in NaNoWriMo:
1. It was harder than I thought
Making time to write 2,000 words a day was a bit of a stretch. This November saw two colds, a heavier homework load than usual, and a house with three very busy dogs. Usually, I do my writing in the early morning hours, but this month I found myself taking advantage of the late evening hours to reach my word goals. Weeks 1 and 2 began well. I wrote a total of almost 10,000 words both of those weeks, staying right on track. But Week 3 was interrupted by my second cold of the season, and I was too sick to write anything for several days, falling behind by about 8,000 words. At that point, I considered changing my goal or just accepting defeat, but as I felt better, I began doubling my word count, thinking maybe I could still finish strong. Week 4 saw almost 20,000 words written, which was more encouraging than anything. By the time Day 30 came, I wrote over 4,300 words, more than I have ever written in one day before, making my grand total 50,170 words!
“The few hours I sat writing each night became my escape, reminding me of why I love writing in the first place.”
2. It was also easier than I thought
At the end of busy days, I began looking forward to sitting down with my laptop and simply writing for fun and getting lost in the story I was creating. They say, “The first draft is for the writer; the second draft is for the editor; the last draft is for the reader.” With each book I’ve written, I have found this more and more to be true. I always begin the first draft by writing what I want to read. Then I revisit that first draft with a critical eye, thinking about what “works” in the story and what doesn’t. I go through a few more rounds of editing before the story becomes complete enough for someone else to enjoy—and hopefully they do. I began writing in November, focusing on how many words I was writing instead of focusing on writing the story for the enjoyment. But as I began to focus more on the story, the words came easily, and I learned to relax about meeting my word goals. The few hours I sat writing each night became my escape, reminding me of why I love writing in the first place.
3. I didn’t quite finish writing an entire novel
Some novels are 50,000 words, but the one I began working on will probably require around 80,000 words to be complete. I did manage roughly 20,000 words in Week 4, which translates to about 80,000 words in a month, so that may be my goal for NaNoWriMo 2022. We’ll see. I did finish roughly two thirds of a novel and developed the plot to such an extent that I have a general idea for the ending, which is still subject to change, depending on how well it ties the story together. I plan to keep writing until it’s finished, but along the lines of about 1,000 words a day instead of 2,000-4,000.
4. I successfully created a habit
In all honesty, I thought the effort of writing 2,000 words a day or more in November would leave me exhausted, but this morning was the first day after NaNoWriMo was over, and I woke up wanting to write again—though my writing goals will definitely be a little more lenient this month. I’ve been in the process of editing my second book, and, when editing your own work, it’s recommended to take frequent breaks, which can be difficult for me. I do take breaks from editing, but not without anxiously waiting until I can review the book again. Working on the rough draft for my next book was just the break I needed to keep me from mentally twiddling my thumbs until I could edit again, but writing daily has become essential for me, so much that, even when in the midst of editing, I will probably still carve time out of my day to write for the necessity and enjoyment of it.
5. What now?
I reached my goal of 50,000 words! I surprised myself this November by how much I was able to accomplish. I learned how much setting goals—even seemingly difficult ones—can help boost productivity. I will probably be setting more goals for myself in the months to come, reminding myself to enjoy the process of writing rather than thinking only of the amount of words I am writing. The novel I wrote this November will require some completion and a few rounds of editing before it is ready to be published, but eventually I hope to share it with you. It may be my favorite book to have written so far, but, again, it will take some work. I plan to release it in 2023, so keep an eye out! In the meantime, if you participated in NaNoWriMo 2021, I want to know how your experience was. Leave a comment or send me a message in the CONTACT page.
Wishing you a joyous holiday season!
C. G. Eppinette
C. G. Eppinette 