I
t’s time for me to get off the NaNoWriMo train for a while and do some thinking. Until a bout of feeling physically crummy knocked me down for a few days, I was on board writing to quota and enjoying myself. A good thing. My story had holes in it big enough for a Twilight fan club meeting. Another good thing, since it was a first draft. I was writing every day. A great thing. And I was enjoying my characters and the trouble I was getting them into. Also a good thing.
But—
Yup there’s a ‘but.’
I have realized that I’m a purposeful sort of person. And though the writing has been fun, I want to write something with—if I may be so bold to say so—A PLAN! I have reached the point where I have decided that, if I’m going to set aside time to write every night, it should be something about which I have a clear vision. I’ve been writing for fun and it’s been fabulous for getting the creative wheels to turn and to get my commitment to writing every day back again. Now, I desperately want to take that energy and that revived excitement and put it to use—at least my version of use. And thank you NaNoWriMo for some much-needed writer CPR!
I have a project that has been lurking and begging me to get to work for a long time. It plays to two passions of mine–young people and the love of writing. And I’m going to go for it.
My NaNoWriMo daily word count is now ‘counting’ toward something purposeful. Nervous but eager, I’m getting off one train and getting on another. New direction, new excitement, new challenges—but—that’s why I’m a writer.
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Good for you, Heather. I think NaNo is about so much more than word count and it sounds like you got out of it what you needed to. I was thinking about a lot of this stuff too–the need for a plan, especially.
My NaNo novel is one that I’ve been composting for a long time, so I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do with it. But some really interesting side plots appeared out of nowhere and blindsided me, and now I’ve started scribbling some notes to figure out what to do with them. And I got really off track with a fun twist I hadn’t expected. I mean REALLY off track.
I’m still pretty much on course for the finish line, but not entirely sure if I’ll get there (at least not by Nov 30th) but I don’t care. I already got what I need to out of the experience too. And hasn’t it been fun?
You are so right! We both got an awful lot out of the experience and it isn’t over yet. I’m going to start a “done” group after NaNo to keep me, and anyone else who want to join, writing every day. Let me know if you want to take part.
Hi Heather:
I don’t think I ever really got on this train, but the experience has given me the opportunity to examine what kind of writing I want to do, and as you’ve said, the need for a clear plan. I’m getting there. So, even though I’m not even close to the “writing a novel in a month” goal, I got more out of it than I thought possible in the beginning, and that’s a good thing.
I’m glad the experience has been a good one for you. If my writing bones need a shake-up next November, I’ll be signing up again–especially if I have a better plan and vision than this time!