About day 24 I was seriously starting to wonder if I would make the deadline. I got more and more behind and school got busier and busier. But then, on day 26 as I posted, I did some word wars and challenges that gave me a 4,000 word day. I followed that up with a 2,000 word day, which gave me a lot of incentive to finish. How lame to come so close and not cross the finish line. I am by no means disparaging anyone who did not finish by any margin. I am talking about my own peptalk to my own self. Yes, I do embarrass myself into doing things. All the time. Hey, it works, right!?
Anyways, by the time I sat down to write yesterday I only needed 1,200 words to finish it. I exported my Scrivener document to Word to double check my word count. As I scrolled down to the end of the document so I could smash out my last words I stumbled across a conversation I had forgotten about. It's one of the many info dumps that occurred in this novel so I could work through my world building while still adding onto my word count. So I know that it won't end up in the next draft in its entirety, but as I passed it I had to stop and reread it. As I did I got all giddy and happy. It reignited my love for this world and these characters and reminded me what is at stake.
Taking that enthusiasm I jumped down to where I had left off and zipped through my last scene. Is it good? No, not really. The ending is way too preachy and sappy. But is this draft basically done? YES! Do I have a world that has come together and developed in ways I never anticipated? Absolutely. Do I have a main character that has grown throughout the progression of the novel? Shockingly, YES! Do I have great secondary characters that I'm dying to develop further in my next draft? Oh my goodness yes. Devvon, I will discover your secrets. And Virra? Let's just say the little twist in your character surprised me.
This is only my 3rd NaNo year and it's my 2nd win, but it is definitely my most satisfying experience. I felt like I was better prepared going in, that I have a better and more cohesive (though all over the place and completely convoluted) rough draft than any rough draft I've ever written. There is a TON of stuff that needs to be fixed and rearranged and taken out and added in and I am giddy over the prospect of all the plotting and outlining and rewriting I get to do now (As soon as I write these 2 massive research papers).
I understand that NaNo doesn't work for everybody, but it has always been a fantastic experience for me and, whether I end up with a few random scenes, a random idea for a story that doesn't end up going anywhere, or a workable rough draft, the point is that I wrote. That I made time in my schedule to get my thoughts down on paper. That I created a world that didn't exist before. Made friends with other WriMos. These are the things that make NaNo worth it and I most highly recommend it to anyone who wants a challenge or just wants to try something new. It's the experience, not the "perfect product" that matters.
Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now and celebrate my win by allowing myself to watch a couple episodes of Friends. And by leaving you with a cute kitty.
happy December everyone! And happy writing!
see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
2 comments:
Watching Friends is a great reward! Love that show. :)
Congrats on winning NaNo!!! This was my third year, too. The experience has always been great so far, and I hope I can do it every year. :) And how awesome you did NaNo AND your blog! I did that last year too, and it was a little much. So this year I took a blogcation. It's great to be back blogging again!
Congratulations!!!! I love Nano. I think it's awesome too.
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