Tag Archives: NaNoWriMo

Camp NaNoWriMo

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Some of you may have noticed a new badge in my sidebar.  The Camp NaNoWriMo participant badge.

Camp NaNoWriMo Participant Badge 2012That’s right.  I’m doing it again.  50,000 words of a novel in a month.  I figure if I managed it last November when I was working, I can certainly do it now that I’m not.  It might even be easier.  And better.  Surely it could be better because the last one sucked.

No, seriously.  It wasn’t good.  I read over it now and laugh and laugh.  It’s a great pick-me-up after a rotten day.

So I’m going to try again, using a character from the old one and anything I can salvage from it (that won’t count toward the 50,000 words because that would be cheating and I’m not a cheater.)

Or maybe I’ll write something new.  Who knows?  I’ve got time.  23 hours to figure out what in the world I’m going to write about.  No biggie.

The only reason I’m doing this is because somebody asked me to.  I didn’t even know about Camp NaNoWriMo until she opened her big mouth.  Then I opened mine and said I’d do it.  Now, we’re both committed.  Thanks, JM.  (JM writes the wildly entertaining blog, Accidental Stepmom.  She’s stepmom to 5 fabulous children, one who has a serious addiction to bacon.  Then again, who doesn’t?  You should check out her blog.  You can thank me later for introducing you.)

Just to pass on the “holy crap, what have we done?” vibe, I sort of talked my friend into participating, too.  That’s not accurate.  I let her talk herself into joining in and neglected to tell her what she was in for.  Misery loves company, and all of that.

I’m an excellent friend.

Coincidentally, she also has a blog (*gasp*  *say what?*) and she just wrote a fabulous post about what it means to be a military family.  It’s not easy (duh) but it’s even tougher when you have 4 kids, all with special needs.  She’s sort of my hero.  Yeah, she’s got her issues (don’t we all) but she does a much better job of hiding them than most people.  Go.  Read her post.  You’ll see.

Change @ Mom’s Mixed Nuts  (Isn’t that a great blog name?)

After you read these wonderful women writers, you’ll understand my panic about doing Camp NaNoWriMo with them.  They set the bar awfully high and I’m a terrible jumper.

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I Won NaNoWriMo. Now What?

Posted in All Posts, Blogging, Books, Reading, Words, Writing by

It’s official.  I won NaNoWriMo.  I wrote 50,477 words of my novel and I can display a way cool badge on the blog.

So what now?  Do I have a complete novel?  Not even close.  I don’t even have half of a first draft.  I reread a little of it and realized the first 20,000 words can be condensed into about 2,000.   The story I wanted to tell didn’t get rolling until about 40,000 words in.  I have no ending.  It will be months before I have anything remotely close to a workable first draft.  I didn’t meet any of the goals I set for myself, other than meeting word count.

When I clicked the “verify” button and saw “Winner,”  I didn’t feel like a winner.  I felt like a big fat failure.  I didn’t write a post about NaNoWriMo on December 1 like everyone else because I didn’t think I’d accomplished anything.  Not really.  I was disappointed in the whole experience.

I was an idiot.

I absolutely accomplished something!  I started a novel.  I established a writing habit.

I learned things about myself as a writer.  I know that I write better at night, with music blasting in my ears.  I use the word, “just” too much.  I suck at describing setting.  I get carried away with love scenes and if I wanted to, I could totally write a sleazy, melodramatic romance novel, which, in turn, taught me it’s okay and even wise, to use the backspace button.

Most importantly, I have a Work In Progress, which I can refer to in random conversations  when I want to feel important.  I can say, “I’m writing a book…”  In my novel….”  or, if I’m feeling particularly pretentious, I can call it my “WIP” and explain what that means, thereby annoying dazzling my audience with my condescension intellect.

I AM a Winner.

National Novel Writing Month is over.  It’s December and time to focus on Christmas and that long 2 1/2 week vacation.  Oh, and that other goal I set in January.  The one where I said I’d read 50 books in 2011.

2011 Reading Challenge

2011 Reading Challenge

Erinhasread 31 books toward her goal of 50 books.

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19 books in 27 days.  Completely doable.  I’ll keep everyone updated on my progress through the blog, Facebook, and Twitter.**  I know you care deeply if I meet another random personal goal.

**Not really.  

Related Articles:
NaNoWriMo:  Are You In?
NaNoWriMo Week One:  Six Lessons
NaNoWriMo Dropout
NaNoWriMo:  The Last Three Days

NaNoWriMo: The Last Three Days

Posted in All Posts, Blogging, Books, Words, Writing by

NaNoWriMo ends in three short days.  I can’t believe how fast it’s gone.  Of course, November is a busy month.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  November is the second worst month to have NaNoWriMo. (December is the worst.)  There is, of course, the satisfying feeling of accomplishment at the end of the year.  If you win, that is.  If you don’t, well, you’ve got your first New Year’s Resolution.

I’ve got enough New Year’s Resolutions to break.  As of today, I have 47,796/50,000 words.  According to my nifty stats page over at NaNos site, I have to write 551 words a day to finish on time.  That’s not really my style.  I write huge chunks at a time.  Ideally, I’d be doing that now, instead of writing on the blog, but you know how that goes.  I’ll probably wait until November 30 and validate my novel at 11:59 PM.  I like the drama.

I say I’m going to validate my novel.  That’s not exactly accurate.  I’ll validate a healthy portion of a novel.  It won’t be finished.  In fact, most of what I validate probably won’t be in the finished novel.  This is some meandering, indulgent stuff, people.  I’m doing what Stephen King calls, “Writing with the door closed.”  (From his book, On Writing, which is excellent.  Read it.  It’ll change your whole perspective on writing.  Good stuff.)  The next few months (or longer) will be editing and rewriting, all with the door wide open.  Open to people who aren’t me, reading what I wrote.  That changes things.   And for the better.

In the meantime, I am willing to show a portion of what I wrote.  Some people think they want to read that.  Well, here it is.  My actual words from my actual novel, in no particular order.