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So, I am still plugging away at the Nano. Today was the best day I'd had yet--just about 5k words (give or take, as some tweaking was kinda hard to judge).
These are my stats so far:
Well, I am obviously forever running behind. My estimated date for reaching 50k at my current pace is December 5th. Oh dear. I also need to average over 2100 words a day, which I know, despite my initial determination to do so, I simply can't do...I simply cannot write every single day without my right arm dropping off. Not to mention having the mental capacity. My brain just won't do it, and I've decided to just not worry about it.
Will I make the goal of 50k by November 30th? I really don't know, and I really don't care, because my total word count now for my ms. is almost 65k words. I've got 14 (really 13.5) plotpoints yet to cover, with about half of those promising to be demanding scenes to write (whee!). I am not sure I will finish this ms by the end of the month, but I already count this year's Nanowrimo as a success for me.
Not only will I have or almost-have a completed manuscript, participating in Nano has brought home a few things to me about my writing style and process that I'd forgotten, never knew, or never imagined would work well for me, and all since November 1:
1. All the fancy writing softwares in the world don't work for me as well as just plain ol' Word, combined with Dropbox for storage. Dropbox has been an absolute godsend for me. Not only does it protect my work from cranky computers (or evil thieves, having had computers stolen in the past), I have not had one bit of trouble with Dropbox, I work in my Word document with it directly-stored onto my Dropbox so it is at all times updated and accessible, whether I am at home or work or whatever computer I may be on. Googledocs has also proven enormously useful to me for outlining. So that's it. That's what I use--Word, Dropbox, and Googledocs. Oh yes and Delicious for storing my research link info. HOW did I live without a Delicious account before this? I do not know!
2. I've learned that I too can write crappy first drafts. But I've also learned I can't leave things like that for long, couple days at the most or I will lose that edge-awareness thing, that momentum. My process: check w/my plotpoints on Googledocs for what I need to be sure and include in the next scene, ponder and think about it while driving, showering, folding laundry, staring at the ceiling while the dog tries to lick my face until I am fit to burst with wanting to write it all down. Write the drafty stuff, then the next time I sit down at the computer, after having had time to mull over what I'd written and whether it worked or not (and often it doesn't), go back, rewrite it until it works and then go forward. It is the tortoise-method of writing but it works for me.
4. I need music to write to, and I write best at home, alone, with my music, my huskies, my comfy chair.
5. And okay one more that I can't really blame Nano on. I will just blame![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
blue_fjords and Nick. I've learned that I absolutely love Dean Winchester. I know, right? But seriously, that newfound love has helped me tremendously in writing my character Lee. This is kinda weird, yeah, but not really...watching SPN marathon-style like N and I did, I found myself working the details of Dean's personality that I really liked (the good and the bad, which he has plenty of) into Lee, pretty much without realizing it. Before then, he'd been flat and boring to me, one of those dreaded cardboard characters, and I felt terribly out of touch with him. Dean Winchester helped me get into touch with my own character. From here on out, I will approach character-creation a bit differently. Gev, interestingly (to me at least) has always been a breeze to write. Why? A ballet dancer, he was directly-inspired by real ballet dancers that I'd seen live, and also dancers from So You Think You Can Dance (and that is where I got the basic characterization for Gev--from a Russian-born dancer named, well, Gev).
So, to all the Nano-haters who feel Nano is a serious waste of time and energy and teaches writers nothing, I say bunk. Sure has taught me alot this year, yup indeed. I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning and hit the keyboard again! But first, I need to do some ceiling-staring and think through what I want/need to write next.
Has Nano taught you anything new about yourself and your writing? I'd love to know.
These are my stats so far:
Well, I am obviously forever running behind. My estimated date for reaching 50k at my current pace is December 5th. Oh dear. I also need to average over 2100 words a day, which I know, despite my initial determination to do so, I simply can't do...I simply cannot write every single day without my right arm dropping off. Not to mention having the mental capacity. My brain just won't do it, and I've decided to just not worry about it.
Will I make the goal of 50k by November 30th? I really don't know, and I really don't care, because my total word count now for my ms. is almost 65k words. I've got 14 (really 13.5) plotpoints yet to cover, with about half of those promising to be demanding scenes to write (whee!). I am not sure I will finish this ms by the end of the month, but I already count this year's Nanowrimo as a success for me.
Not only will I have or almost-have a completed manuscript, participating in Nano has brought home a few things to me about my writing style and process that I'd forgotten, never knew, or never imagined would work well for me, and all since November 1:
1. All the fancy writing softwares in the world don't work for me as well as just plain ol' Word, combined with Dropbox for storage. Dropbox has been an absolute godsend for me. Not only does it protect my work from cranky computers (or evil thieves, having had computers stolen in the past), I have not had one bit of trouble with Dropbox, I work in my Word document with it directly-stored onto my Dropbox so it is at all times updated and accessible, whether I am at home or work or whatever computer I may be on. Googledocs has also proven enormously useful to me for outlining. So that's it. That's what I use--Word, Dropbox, and Googledocs. Oh yes and Delicious for storing my research link info. HOW did I live without a Delicious account before this? I do not know!
2. I've learned that I too can write crappy first drafts. But I've also learned I can't leave things like that for long, couple days at the most or I will lose that edge-awareness thing, that momentum. My process: check w/my plotpoints on Googledocs for what I need to be sure and include in the next scene, ponder and think about it while driving, showering, folding laundry, staring at the ceiling while the dog tries to lick my face until I am fit to burst with wanting to write it all down. Write the drafty stuff, then the next time I sit down at the computer, after having had time to mull over what I'd written and whether it worked or not (and often it doesn't), go back, rewrite it until it works and then go forward. It is the tortoise-method of writing but it works for me.
4. I need music to write to, and I write best at home, alone, with my music, my huskies, my comfy chair.
5. And okay one more that I can't really blame Nano on. I will just blame
blue_fjords and Nick. I've learned that I absolutely love Dean Winchester. I know, right? But seriously, that newfound love has helped me tremendously in writing my character Lee. This is kinda weird, yeah, but not really...watching SPN marathon-style like N and I did, I found myself working the details of Dean's personality that I really liked (the good and the bad, which he has plenty of) into Lee, pretty much without realizing it. Before then, he'd been flat and boring to me, one of those dreaded cardboard characters, and I felt terribly out of touch with him. Dean Winchester helped me get into touch with my own character. From here on out, I will approach character-creation a bit differently. Gev, interestingly (to me at least) has always been a breeze to write. Why? A ballet dancer, he was directly-inspired by real ballet dancers that I'd seen live, and also dancers from So You Think You Can Dance (and that is where I got the basic characterization for Gev--from a Russian-born dancer named, well, Gev). So, to all the Nano-haters who feel Nano is a serious waste of time and energy and teaches writers nothing, I say bunk. Sure has taught me alot this year, yup indeed. I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning and hit the keyboard again! But first, I need to do some ceiling-staring and think through what I want/need to write next.
Has Nano taught you anything new about yourself and your writing? I'd love to know.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 04:03 am (UTC)*has never done nano; shall never attempt it because she can't actually write anything creative*
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 02:11 pm (UTC)But I learned a lot last year. I learned that I can wing it and write flat out (not quite NaNo speed, but much faster than my usual rate) and that the writing that results may be rough, but it has plenty of potential and a revision pass or two will smooth it out.
I also relearned that writing can be fun. It reminded me of the way I'd enjoyed wroting when I was a teenager, not caring about whether something was publishable, just writing to get the story down and seeing where the characters took me.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 02:15 pm (UTC)It might be helpful at the revision stage though, for example if you needed to swap scenes around. But then, there's always cut and paste in Word...
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 02:38 pm (UTC)Dude, you used your cupcakes tag, but there are no cupcakes here. I thought you made cupcakes, or was that in an email?
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 04:01 pm (UTC)YES MORE of your AU!!! I want it. LOL.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 05:28 pm (UTC)So what is Dropbox?
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 05:43 pm (UTC)Haven't they? Its slowly but surely made me turn away from things, forced me to narrow my field of whose lj's I read, whose twitters I response to (when I am on twitter, which I've cut way back on), etc. I am so tired of reading every single person's opinion of why this is like this and why that is like that and how they think ANY sane reasonable person should react like they say...my default view has gotten really quite small lately. Just leave me to decide things on my own, peeps...I'm busy trying to write. Argh! People! *shakes fist*
ANYWAY!!! We should know by January if Tiff gets the TFA position, and if she gets San Francisco. You are the one person I know in that area who I know I could cry out for help to if she does something like breaks a leg or something. LOL. Oh man. How is your kid doing?? Will she graduate this year? Tiff will get out in May, and is both sad and excited. Is your daughter still Far Far Away??? Wail--that will be me too soon, too too soon. Sniff.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 10:42 pm (UTC)Yes, she's still there and it's a really long way. Especially when she's sick or we're trying to fly her back and forth for the holidays.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-21 05:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-22 10:06 am (UTC)Even if I'm only on 15K or thereabouts.