Well, I am entering the home stretch of 2017 NaNoWriMo and yes, it has started to feel like a marathon. The brain is struggling a bit more. The energy is starting to wan, but I have kept going.
Below are brief highlights of how this month has gone so far:
1) Some days have gone easier than others, but the routine I set up has gone according to plan. Having a day off has been extremely helpful in both mental and physical recovery.
2) Speaking of plans, as is tradition, my rough outline has changed dramatically. Characters and free will always override anything a writer comes up as far as I’m concerned. I adjust the outline accordingly to help guide rewrites. It also helps in rewrites to see where some areas need something more or to cut out an idea that doesn’t make sense.
3) I’ve been able to average over 2,000 words a day. As of when this post goes live, I will be close to the 50,000 words goal. By no means I am close to being done with the rough draft by the end of November. I don’t know when I will be; hopefully by the end of December or early January. I also never know what the total word count will. Since what I’m writing is historical fiction, it’ll be long.
4) I have entered the phase in a rough draft in which I am noticing repeated phrases and overused words. Brain starting to become a little bit fried and the words are leaving me.
5) More caffeine, less sugar consumption. Good/bad? I’m getting the work done so…
6) Working outside the home occasionally is great. Gets me around people without actually having to talk to anyone, keeps me less distracted, and makes me write faster. It seems to kick start some of the road blocks I run into.
7) This is the first year I haven’t set up rewards for reaching milestones. While those have been great motivators, I realized I don’t really cash in many of them.
I’m feeling pretty good about my progress. I’m hopeful I’ll keep up the pace beyond November. Here’s to everyone who stuck it out for the month of November. It doesn’t matter if you “win” or not. You’re writing and should be proud of yourself. Give yourself a pat on the back. You’re doing something a lot of people wish they could do, but for whatever reason are terrified to try.
DH Hanni 