Here are a couple unbelievable facts. In fact, they’re so unbelievable, you might not even believe them. First up: it’s December. Yes, it really, really is December. Second, and somewhat related, NaNoWriMo is officially behind us.
A week ago I called myself a winner, but strictly speaking, this isn’t true. Why? Well, I’m glad you asked. The idea behind NaNoWriMo is to start (and finish!) a minimum 50,000 word novel in a single month. I disqualified myself from the very beginning since I started on November 2nd with 30,450 words already under my belt.
It had taken me three months to write thirty thousand words. (Or sixteen years, depending on when you start counting.) So the thought of actually writing fifty thousand in a single thirty-day period was beyond my comprehension. So I had two goals: 1) a very lofty goal of adding 50k words to the existing manuscript; or 2) add 20k words to bring the grand total to 50k.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d not only add 50k words but also do it with a week to spare. About fifteen minutes ago I wrapped up that last week. Final word count for November: 64,580. Total word count for the entire manuscript at this point: 95,030.
So yeah, in just one month I more than doubled three months (or sixteen years) of work. Hear that sound? That’s me patting myself on the back.
Of course, I’m still nowhere near done. So the fact that I started before November and will finish way after November means I’m not really a NaNo winner. But that wasn’t the point. The point was to get my rear in gear. Mission accomplished.
My next goal? To actually come up with a plot. 🙂
Wish me luck. I’m going to need it.
on December 1, 2009 at 9:37 am
Plot, schmot…here’s a plot for you: a writer comes up with 64,580 words in slightly under 17 years, only to discover he also now needs a plot. Hilarity/mayhem ensues… Caveat:I demand half the proceeds from the Soderbergh/Clooney/Pitt movie that may result.
on December 1, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I’m curious about what you actually wrote! Will you be posting a synopsis?
on December 1, 2009 at 11:22 pm
I’ll definitely be posting info about the book. Just waiting for the right time. Hopefully it won’t be too long, but probably not before the end of the year. Not while I’m still working on the first draft of the manuscript.
on December 1, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I am patting you on the back too – feel it?!
Great job Chowlee! 😀
on December 1, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Go Charlie!
on December 2, 2009 at 6:31 am
I would respectfully disagree. While it is true that by the very strict rules of NaNo you might have “disqualified” yourself, when did NaNo ever have strict rules? The important thing, the one that really matters, is that you wrote 50k words and more in November, and you have an almost finished novel on your hands. The spirit of NaNo was upheld.
And anyway, the whole point of the rules are to make you feel a winner for what you have accomplished. You have accomplished a lot, so feel a winner with no caveats!
And lastly, we are talking NaNo here. Who needs plots? As the the guidebook says “No plot? No problem!”.
Grats on a job well done!
on December 3, 2009 at 12:04 am
Seriously awesome! I would call you a winner. 🙂
I did not win. I got about 60% there and then got frustrated. But I got 60% there, so it’s better than not having started. And now that I’ve started, I just have to work on finishing. Ya know, the hard part.
on December 3, 2009 at 8:52 pm
I know this sounds about as cliche as it gets, but just writing anything during NaNo means you’re a winner. The whole point is to get us perpetual all-start-it-tomorrow procrastinators to just do something. You wrote around thirty thousand words you wouldn’t have written otherwise. You can give yourself a pat on the back for that any day.
on December 3, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Hey cool, I just left Comment Number 3000. I should give myself a prize or something.