To be completely honest I didn't think it was possible. Not NaNo in it's entire context but me reaching the 26,000 word mark. I am someone who talks a lot about what I would like to do and then chickens out. NaNo was an event where I suspected this would happen. I am wrong...so far.It's peculiar to think about how breaking a story into the smallest of segments makes it a possible exercise.
What I have learnt so far...
- I have a tendency to get lost every 5 days (or 8,000 words) and drive myself crazy with a possible solution.
- As above implies, I am totally regretting not plotting my story. Or even thinking about it all that much before hand - AdeleFail.
- Dialogue has somehow become my favourite and easiest element...after years of it being my most loathed part.
- I am itching to edit.
- Don't include a sport (say bowling) into your story when you know NOTHING about it. You spend more time online trying to figure out what is supposed to be happening.
- Grade eight students are a fantastic resource in bowling knowledge.
- I don't have the time to re-read my previous pages and as such I think there will be giant flow and tone issues. I am psyching myself out about this already.
- Naming characters is super hard. My best friend character has changed names 5 times and with each version becoming increasingly traditional in choices. I am not kidding, first time around his name was Gangle - seriously, what was I thinking?
- Having a bitter shrewish character is a great release when you're in a foul mood.
- My love (read as sarcasm) of footy boys during my teen years has totally informed this novel.
- I freaked out last Sunday as I skipped two days as I couldn't think of what to write. I couldn't see myself catching up but I tried. I ended up pushing through the half way mark by writing 5k in one day. Go figure!
As I have tweeted, I don't see this novel seeing the light of day. I don't plan on sharing it with anyone as I consider it my dry run, my learning curve. It's not particularly cohesive but I have enjoyed reading it. I have also realised what kind of YA authors I want to be - contemporary and snarky in the vein of Jenn Echols and Elizabeth Scott. Not that I think I will ever be able to be that. It's the style of novel I like reading the most and echoes my own voice in normal life so it makes sense.
- I am not as bad as I thought I was, though an outside eye might disagree.
- I am capable of setting an established pace in my writing habits.
- Planning isn't my thing.
- I like writing dialogue.
- My family issues haven't popped up once in my character's family...peculiar.
- I draw from interesting places - already there's a Picnic in Hanging Rock, Grease and BBC reference. Weird.
- It's fun.
- Competition is good for the soul.
Now how about you?
6 comments:
I have no idea what this means: "My love (read as sarcasm) of footy boys during my team years has totally informed this novel." but it sounds like something very Aussie exotic. ;-)
I am NaNoFAIL this year b/c I had to set it aside to work on other revisions, but I learned that NaNo can still be a great idea generator and learning experience even if you don't finish in a month!
Best of luck on the 2nd half! :-)
Adele!! I could steal your post and put it straight up on my blog without changing a word! Our experience with NaNoWriMo are so similar its freaky! My 'don't write about stuff you no nothing about' topic was quantum mechanics LOL! and I was trying to write it with a 5yo nudging at my ankles with a remote control car. I haven't included any family foibles either but have strangly included many of my childhood memories.... odd.
Well good luck on the downhill half of NaNoWriMo!
I agree with almost everything you said here, it has been my experience as well. Dialogue is pushing me through to the finish line. Congrats on getting this far!
I thought you wrote like every single day. It's such an amazing thing you almost reach 27000 now. Dialogue is such a pain, sometimes I just don't know what my characters are trying to say. Anyway, keep up the good work for the rest of the month :D
Thanks guys
Sarah: The footy (football) boys were the bane of my existence during high school. Something about boys getting together in large groups with balls, I guess. My issues with them continued into my uni days. I am not fond of many of them - my characters absorbed much of this prejudice. It's been cathartic to say the least.
It's great to see where everyone else is at, congrats on your progress. It's a nice feeling of accomplishment huh?
Resist that urge to edit! You are doing remarkable, Adele! And yes, I totally understand the "not including a sport if you don't know anything about it" ordeal. Why, oh why, does my main character obsess over soccer (and, in later seasons, basketball and roller hockey)?
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