HAPPY THANKSGIVING! With only three days to go until the end of this year’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), it’s time to look back. I’ve been frustrated with the progress I’m making on the second draft of my novel Lost Girl Road, so rather than let those feelings get the best of me, I decided to channel my energy in a more positive direction. I focused my NaNo efforts on short pieces of fiction and nonfiction. It’s safe to say I’m on track to finish the month with the requisite 50,000 words needed to call myself a winner. Woot!
The lessons I’ll take away from this month are not earth-shattering. More than anything, I needed this time to find an excuse to focus on writing. Too often, I don’t make writing a priority because I’m too busy distracting myself with becoming a better blogger, a better marketer, a better freelance editor…. I’m sure you get my drift.
Develop A Game Plan
This goes beyond the obvious daily word count goal. Are you the type of writer who can draft without a plan? That’s not me. I’m definitely a plotter, not a pantster, so I took the time to generate titles before NaNoWriMo began, which also meant I developed a vague notion of what each piece would be about.
Find an Accountability Partner
I signed-up at the official National Novel Writing Month website and added a few buddies, and then I never logged back in. Every now and again I checked the #nanowrimo hashtag on Twitter, but for the most part I reported my daily progress to Jon Jefferson via Facebook messages. Simply being accountable to just one person can make all the difference when it comes to getting the writing done.
Give Yourself Permission to Write Badly
I really struggle with this. During NaNo I decided to wear a rubber band around my wrist that I would snap when I started to go back and edit what I’d just written. Self-torture seemed to do the trick. Even better, I realized I have a tendency to sit and think about what I want to write. Thinking is not writing! It’s safe to say about 80% of what I wrote is utter garbage, but each piece definitely has a pulse that I can now worth with.
Write at Your Peak Time
For instance, I now know beyond a doubt that I must write first thing in the morning before the distractions of the day finds me making an excuse not to get the writing done. Plus, my brain basically shuts down after dinner. On the other hand, some people write better at night, or maybe you write better locked in the laundry room because that’s the one room in the house nobody will try to find you.
Stick to Your Goals
This is always easier said than done. I started with taking Saturdays off, but that quickly faded. At one point, I missed a Saturday and a Sunday and catching up meant upping my word count for a week. The funny thing about accomplishment is how achieving goals becomes like a drug. At least now I have a start on a good number of projects I’m looking forward to revising later down the road.
Was it Worth it?
Will I participate in National Novel Writing Month next year? It’s hard to say. The worth of fast drafting lies in how it can enable a writer to tap their subconscious, and I really struggle with finding those types of flow experiences.
In any case, I’m aiming to publish a collection of short travel memoirs about national parks this spring. I’ll polish the short stories I wrote and start submitting them to literary journals. Oh yeah, and the coming year will see me starting another round of revisions on Lost Girl Road. It’s all about momentum.
What writing realizations have you had about how you go about getting the writing done?
Don’t forget to enter my drawing for FREE HOLIDAY MOVIE TICKETS. The winner will be announced on Thur. 12/19.
Photo Credit: Magnified Print
Article by Jeri Walker-Bickett aka JeriWB
I have found that I’ll be making some major changes in the new year, too, so that I can focus on my writing goals instead of my blogging goals! 🙂
Good luck with everything, Jeri!
Lorraine, balancing various writing goals is always such a hard thing for me, but participating in NaNoWriMo has allowed me to take a step back and examine my priorities. I’m also working with a career coach, which as been helpful in identifying some of my weaknesses when it comes to adjusting to working as a freelancer and prioritizing goals.
It seems like coaches are now the “in” thing to have; Linda Formichelli has one, too! (I’m sure you have heard of her?)
I think that the impact coaches have is tremendous; being accountable to someone on a weekly basis (or at whatever interval a coach and a mentee decide) – like how you were with Jon – makes all the difference in the world.
I, too, am making a plan for my new year. I cannot believe it will be one year of blogging for me this coming January! 🙂
Where has the time gone?
Lorraine, nope I haven’t heard Of Linda Formichelli but I just looked her up online and will see what she’s all about. What I’ve most realized from my coaching sessions is how I am motivated extrinsically rather than intrinsically when it comes to meeting deadlines. I’m very much an intrinsic learner, but apparently not so much when it comes to work tasks, which if not so good for trying to write a book where it can be hard to sense the end will ever be near!
You’ve been a true inspiration to me, Jeri! I keep on telling myself that i must make a game plan to succeed with my writing goals – and i know it’s true; it’s true for every other aspect of my life so why is it so darn hard for me to do it with the writing? Can’t believe it’s been a month since the last time i saw your post about getting involved with NaNoWriMo and feeling inspired by how organized you are and how you have your gameplan before the month has started. I pledged i will get started with my ebook too – well, needless to say, i have not 🙁 Maybe i need an accountability partner 😀
Thanks for the great post and sharing your lessons learnt!
Diana, at least you’re starting to think about how important it is to make time for writing. It’s been a long road for me to adjust to getting the writing done, and I’ve only been able to do so thanks to being able to leave the classroom so I could focus on my writing goals full time. You’re a really determined person, so I’m sure when you finally make up your mind to get your ebook started, you will be too stubborn not to finish it 😉
Came to read this and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Boy do I relate with this post. Just when I got my second novel back from the last “creative” editor and felt it might be coming close to something presentable (thinking of getting it to you, etc.) I printed it out and read through it. I didn’t get past the third chapter before I felt like vomiting. Now, I’m back to Chapter 1 rewrite and today had a great day in going deeper, getting more real with the characters but that’s only two paragraphs. I hope that there are other parts later on that won’t make me cringe, if so, I’ll keep at it. Now, to shut my critic off and give you a big cyber hug. Love, Paulette
Paulette, shutting off the inner-critic can be so hard. Having gone through NaNo and written heaps of rough stuff, I think I’ve finally squelched mine a little bit. Thanks for the cyber hug and good luck with revising your book.
Aside from the fact that you achieved a tremendous goal, You have truly gained some invaluable insights into what works for you. That alone will hold you in good stead in the future. Staying with something and learning how to push through all the doubts, distractions and hubbub of the day is a great accomplishment in and of itself. So I applaud you and say BRAVO!
Susan, your encouragement means so much. Thank you 🙂
Jeri — having the discipline to be a writer is so tough. We’ll find any excuse not to face the computer screen — a trip to the refrigerator, a phone call to a friend, etc. I know that most experts advise having an outline before you start and I’ve tried that but it just doesn’t seem to work. Maybe because my early training was as a business reporter when I had to sit down and write on deadline. I find I write better when I’m under pressure and I just start writing. Then the form of a blog post or proposal or other document seems to fall into place. I know that I’m subconsciously outlining what’s coming up. It seems to work for me, but then again I’m not trying to write 50,000 words a month!
Jeannette, I think what I’m missing a lot of the time when it comes to getting the writing done is that sense of pressure. Then again, I wasn’t getting much writing done at all when I was still teaching. The trick for me now is to find ways to make the deadlines I set for myself feel more imminent. It really helps to have an accountability partner. Another thing I’m tackling is to get my creative writing done in the morning, otherwise it just doesn’t happen. If I do NaNo next year, I think I will use it to do exploratory writing on my next novel idea. Then I can start the drafting process in December. It’s safe to say I do my best thinking on the page, and if I arrive at a decent outline, the real writing will go smoother for me.
We will get to the end, Jeri (or is it “The End?”). One day, you and I will both have finished, published full-length books, in that I have faith. Don’t know when, of course, but we will get there. In the meantime, I look forward to reading some of your new short stories and essays. xo
Laura, yep we will most definitely get to “The End” in our books someday. I just hope once I have one novel behind me, I can take all I’ve learned from the process and parlay that knowledge into a slightly smoother process for book number two.
I want to thank you, Jeri. Many times this month our messages have been one of the things that kept me moving. Even though most of the time it went along the lines of just passing numbers back and forth, there is something to be said for having someone right there in the trenches with you.
My process and Jeri’s process can be so different at times. Sure I had a few titles coming in to the month, even had a general idea of what some stories would fall into, but I am a pantser. There is no doubt in my mind of my need to know next to nothing going in to a story.
I won’t go in to full details of my experience here. But I will say this, I had a couple stories this month that ended up swapping titles because the title I started with did not fit what came out.
Jon, it was definitely super-helpful for me to check in with your everyday. It kept me from falling too far behind and just bagging the notion of trying to write like a mad person for a month. It’s true that our processes are total opposites, and that’s a good thing since we can then act like sounding boards for one another and hopefully incorporate a few new things into our bags of tricks.
Its always interesting to hear about how others write; I think its important for each to recognize what works for them. Personally, I tend to write throughout the day when the mood strikes, but mostly late at night, and then I make more sense of it in the mornings, somehow everything way clearer then. I can only write when it strikes me though and can go days without writing a word, but then days, weeks even, immersed in a project to the point where it might become unhealthy. I’ve learned to not worry about those spells of non-writing though; for many things ruminate subliminally, and then I always know, like today and in between projects, waiting on the first edits of my story being released in January, where I need, absolutely positively need, to write anything at all and go searching for something to submit somewhere. Well done, you had some great strategies going on, and I’m sure a lot of self-discovery too. 🙂
S.P., if I waited for the mood to write to strike I would probably never write. I’ve never been the type of writer whose fingers are on fire with getting words down the the page. The process always fills me with a bit of dread. I like revising much more since I’m such a shitty first, second, and sometimes ever third draft writer. What I crave is when I know I have written something that I full-heartedly love that could pass my stringent sense of what good writing can and should be.
I didn’t do NaNoWriMo this year (and I’m pretty sure I never will; November is personally a bad month for me to commit to start/finish a writing project when I know I have to deal with my son’s birthday, a couple other family birthdays and Thanksgiving). However, this is a great list of tips for anyone wanting to write. I particularly agree with the peak writing time. Sitting down when you’re tired or going to be distracted is just an exercise in frustration.
So, thanks for sharing all the tips. I’ll use them in January (which tends to be my hunker down and write month). Glad you had a successful NaNoWriMo.
RJ, I’m glad I stuck with it this month. In reality, I just need to write more on a consistent basis. I’ve made too many excuses for not sticking with my novel, but writing a bunch of new stuff this month did indeed take my mind off of the progress (or lack thereof) that my novel is making.
For starters, congratulations on what you’ve accomplished to this point, Jeri! You’re doing fantastic! I love your suggestions from the rubber band snapping to the time of day writing. I’ve been searching a lot recently for better ways to manage my time and the writing hobby I have. Love your posts and inspiration as always! 🙂
Mike, time management is one of my biggest thorns in my sides so I hope I can fit in more tip posts like this in the future as a way of sharing what I am learning in that area.
You are very sane and organized.
I’m not sure that I am either.
Looking forward to more progress reports and to eventually reading LOST GIRL!
Candy, my blog makes me look all organized and such, but really it’s hit and miss when it comes to getting the writing done. Hopefully 2014 will finally see the completion of a draft of Lost Girl Road that I will be ready to share with the world.
Well done on reaching yr goal in NaNo Jeri. I’m a big believer in quantity brings quality. I really liked yr idea of having an accountability partner. Although I write regularly ( actually it’s been rewriting for some time now) it’s been a little too freeform. Thanks for the nudge.
A.K., participating in NaNo definitely reinforced how little gems can often come from a pile of rough draft material. It’s just what I needed to get back on the right writing path.
Congrats on all your hard work during nano Jeri!! My brain shuts down after dinner, too. I didn’t do nano this year since I had so much editing to concentrate on, but I’m excited for everyone else who did, and I missed it very much! Looking forward to camp nano in April. 🙂
I write best in the morning through mid afternoon. After that it gets a little strained and/or weird. Lol
I typically take weekends off because I’m too busy with my lil ones.
Beth, I hear what you’re saying about later in the day writing getting a little strained or weird. When I go back to my files, I always delete a ton from stuff I write late at night, but the earlier in the day stuff is at least decipherable enough that I will keep it around for future reference.
Congratulations, Jeri. How great that you now have rough drafts to polish and turn into publishing gems. So much better than an empty screen regardless how rough those drafts. A writing teacher once told me that brilliance comes from revisions–you will have brilliant finished pieces.
Jagoda, I definitely hope I can end up with some final drafts I can be proud to attach my name to. One of my goals for the coming year is to find a better balance between daily word count and what I need to do to revise what’s been previously written.
I am a morning writer as well, it is just a shame that my son does not respect this and wants my attention before heading off to school!
Becc, I’m actually at my best for getting the writing done come mid-afternoon, but I’ve since learned that I will push the writing off forever unless it’s the first thing I tackle in the morning.
I am not sure right now what the new year will bring for me where my writing is concerned. You have come away from this adventure with some valuable information for your personal tool belt. I can’t wait until your book comes out. 🙂
Cheryl, at least we always keep moving forward though at times it can feel like two steps back. If all goes well, my collection of travel memoirs will be ready by April or May of 2014.
I didn’t make to 50K goal, but it got me started on my next project. Better to have something than nothing.
S.C., NaNo is totally worth it if participating gave you a start on your next project. Sometimes getting started can be the hardest part.
Every year I participate in NaNo. Every year I learn something different. For me, it’s gone beyond “can I crank out 50K?” and has become, “what do I learn about myself when I crank out 50K?”.
I never anticipate what I learn, but boy, does it help me grow as a writer. For that reason, I advise others to participate in NaNo.
The learning part of the writing process always fascinates me so much. For that reason alone, I think that would be the biggest factor in whether or not I did NaNo again.
Jeri,
This is unrelated to the topic. I went to your “about me” page to leave a message there, but saw no spot for comments. At any rate I have a novel I wrote that I am having some trouble revising. To be more specific: there is one section that, when I wrote it, seemed pretty cool but in retrospect feels like I am just trying to pad the novel length. I’d like to see about acquiring your editing services, but naturally I’d need to know price first! Can you send me an email?
Steve
Steve, I’ve received your follow-up email and will be getting back to you shortly so we can iron out the details.
This is really helpful, Jeri. Thanks for sharing. Every year, I plan on doing NaNo, but then don’t, because I want to feature on “real” writing. Thanks for letting me know how it was. May be next year…
Mary, if and when I do NaNo again, it will be for a novel with a really straight forward plot. Yeah, someday…