I’ve done NaNoWriMo for the past three years. I actually reached 50,000 words the first year. Last year, I discovered a book already in print with the exact plot line as my NaNo story and I gave up. I expect to get really close to my goal.
My experience this year will probably be very different than past years. I didn’t have a plot or outline any of the previous years I participated. And I struggled to reach my word count goal each day.
This year, I’m writing the sequel to the book I wrote over the past year. I spent the past two years working out a plot, which much of it I already had an idea of what I wanted to happen. My characters are developed and I’ve already written out my calendar of scenes.
NaNoWriMo is a great experience and now, in my fourth year, I see how I could see how my writing has improved. I’ve learned how to disciple myself to write daily. I shouldn’t have any problem with reaching the daily word goal. I also have since realized that I write better at night, so I don’t have to fight against my body clock. I also know that I can sit down on a Saturday and write several days worth of words.
I think the biggest difference is that I have a more grounded view of the outcome of NaNoWriMo. In years past, it was stressful. I beat myself up about making the word count and deleting words. This year, I understand that the goal is 50,000 words, but I also realize that whatever I end up with at the end of the month will carry me closer to my word count of the novel. So if even I bomb, miss a couple of days or don’t meet the daily word count, I’ll still have a pretty good skeleton of my next novel when I’m done.
So I’m ready to work on my 2000 words for today (I modified the daily goal so I don’t write on Sundays) and this blog post doesn’t count.
