My embarrassing NaNoWriMo confession

It started out with the right thought – that since I ‘won’ in NaNo last year I should try to finish my novel started last year. Reasonable, right?

And since I kept a running update last year, posting every day for the month of November to keep my readers informed of my progress – and to keep myself motivated – it seemed right that I should do the same thing this year. Makes sense, right?

Problem.

Last year I ~~knew~~ believed I could do it. I was ~~determined~~ ~~stubborn~~ determined enough to keep at it so that I DID do it. This year my motivation is not the same, but I do have a goal — to finish writing my 2010 NaNo novel.

~~Interruptions~~ Procrastination ~~got in the way~~ took over. Well, that’s a little harsh, Lynn, don’t you think? Life happens. … tap tap tap … oh alright! I didn’t take it on with the same sense of motivation this time. There, I said it. I let myself ~~fail~~ ~~flounder~~ face plant. (And, yes, I ~~talk to myself~~ give myself pep talks.)

Okay, here’s the thing. If I keep an ongoing record showing my ~~progress~~ lack of adequate progress in 2011 NaNo, I will both embarrass myself and risk being a disappointment to anyone possibly believing in me. (um, is there really anyone out there fitting that description?) *sigh* It really is not that hard. All you do is write! Right?

Who am I kidding? When one’s muse just doesn’t want to play, then … it’s not happening! (yes, okay, when one does not commit whole-heartedly to the project it is already ~~doomed~~ at serious risk.)

So, what to do? It is in the early hours of day 25 of NaNoWriMo 2011. I am ~~ashamed~~ embarrassed to admit that I have enough words written to equal a tally for day … 5. (hangs head) Yep, day 5.

Want to read something really funny? Here are my stats on my NaNo page, especially note the estimated date of completion:

Your Average Per Day .. 363

Words Written Today .. 1,321

Target Word Count .. 50,000

Target Average Words Per Day .. 1,667

Total Words Written .. 8,722

Words Remaining .. 41,278

Current Day .. 24

Days Remaining .. 7

At This Rate You Will Finish On .. March 16, 2012 <— Hilarious! 🙂

Words Per Day To Finish On Time .. 5,897 <– Yikes!

~~I. am. in. trouble.~~ (note to self, don’t write that way often, it disturbs some writers.) I am in trouble.

So, what to do? Easy. Just WRITE!

Get some sleep, then write. nap, then write. do what you have to do, then WRITE WRITE WRITE.

The crazy thing is, I still believe I can do this! Isn’t that crazy? And I am going to make a new page for my 2011 NaNoWriMo progress report. Now THAT is ~~crazy~~ motivating, but ..

I. am. going. to. try. (oops! refer to note to self above.)

If I manage to complete with 50000 words, please don’t expect to hear from me for awhile. I will be ~~celebrating~~ sleeping. 😉

Comments, anyone?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

I’m a NaNo Rebel

Yes, you read that correctly. I’m a NaNo Rebel.

Last year, November 2010, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and met the goal of 50,000 words, going over by about 265 or so. I started with nothing and got the main part of a novel written .. if it can be edited to be suitable as one, that is. I even kept track here on my blog by making daily reports. This year, although my available time has changed considerably, I decided to try again – but as a Rebel.

What’s a NaNo Rebel, you ask? Someone who is participating in NaNoWriMo and bending the rules a bit. (There is actually a category for rebels, so it’s not considered cheating.) Instead of starting from scratch I am picking up where I stopped last year with the purpose of finishing the story I left unfinished. I ‘won’ last year by writing over 50000 words, but the story itself has not been completed. I would like to finish it during this year’s challenge, otherwise I may never get back to it.

You also may wonder how I am doing this time. Not well, I’m sorry to say. I got off to a slow start, not writing anything until day 7, and then I wrote less than 500 words. That is not good at all, seeing as by that time I should have had over 11000 words down. The ideal is to write 1667 words a day, so for day 22 (today) I should have over 36600 words written, but .. you guessed it! I’m nowhere near that number. I have over 5000 words written but much less than where it should be at this late date in the 30 days allotted. I’m in big trouble if I want to ‘win’ NaNoWriMo this time. Or should I see it as a HUGE challenge and try to get ‘er done anyway?

I also am again participating in PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) and have several more than the 22 ideas needed by this date. I’m not worried there, but I believe that I have fewer really good ideas this year. A scarce few of those may make good picture books, but I’m sort of pulling them from the bottom of the barrel, it seems.

I’m wondering if the way I have to divide my life now is what’s making the difference. My muse is not sure when to come out to play anymore. 🙂

Oh, well, I will keep plugging away at it.

Are you taking part in NaNoWriMo this year? Do you try any other writing challenges?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 30: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Tuesday, Day 30 of NaNoWriMo — I’m SO TIRED! Last night I stayed up and wrote until 4 AM. As I posted yesterday I did what I said I would do … wrote until I couldn’t stay awake to write another word. That is just what happened. (I’m glad I did this because I had several interruptions today that would added stress to completing.) So at around 4:30 AM I had just relaxed beside my husband and his alarm went off. I went to sleep and slept until my alarm went off around 8:30, then I was up and wrote until I finished NaNo. So I WON! It’s a feeling of accomplishment and relief that I actually completed it and got my ‘novel’ validated on time on the site. I did use the program that generates paragraphs and words. When I finished the challenge and posted my word total, then I generated the number of words I had recorded – which was 50265 – and submitted that to make it official. (I’m actually having trouble staying awake right now to write this post.) I have the NaNoWriMo challenge 101% completed!

Even though I completed the 50K challenge, my story is not completed. I left a major conflict unresolved and hope to continue writing to finish the story.

PiBoIdMo ended today, too. I completed with 44 ideas. It was a wonderful experience for me.

Have you pushed yourself beyond what you thought you could do?

Thanks for readings, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 27: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Saturday, Day 27 of NaNoWriMo. Wow! What a day this has been. First of all, in the morning my husband and I went to town to the Farmers Market where I purchased three Chr istmas gifts (just couldn’t resist) after I met local author Jan L. Coates – which is why we went there today. She is delightful! She signed my copies of her newest book – A Hare In The Elephant’s Trunk – and we chatted a bit. (Actually, I’m sure I talked too much. oh dear) I urge you to check out this website: http://www.wadeng.org

I have several books I am eager to read — three books for which I will be writing reviews. I will be posting those reviews here on my blog, just as I did on October 26 after reading Max Lucado’s book – Out Live Your Life. But I am especially so looking forward to reading Jan‘s book after NaNo is over. I heard an interview on the radio several weeks ago and was touched by the story, built around a true and tragic story. I will probably write about her book here, too.

When we returned home I got down to writing. For hours I sat writing, getting up to walk around or stretch, and to make myself a lunch in the middle of the afternoon. Just before midnight I punched in my new numbers. I’d managed to write 3525 words today! Yay! That takes me up to 38,527 words written for this challenge so far. Now it feels more as if I can win this NaNo challenge, whereas I was beginning to doubt myself the last few days. Now I have it 78% completed! Almost 11,500 words have yet to be written – in three days – but now it is reachable again. I just have to aim for 4000 words a day (which I haven’t done yet!) and I’ll have it, with extras as security. 🙂 Piece ‘o cake, right?… Right?

An idea for PiBoIdMo came through right around midnight. I now have 40 ideas for that challenge. It has been fun in a different way doing PiBo.

I believe I can call myself a writer after all this, what do you think?

What does it take for you to see yourself as a writer? Or if you are not a writer, then what makes you believe in your talents and abilities?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 23: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Tuesday, Day 23 of NaNoWriMo looks better than the past several days. I managed to write 1768 words but I started a little earlier this evening, too. I don’t know why I end up writing in detail what seems like tangents to the story, you know … added story lines that don’t seem to have much at all to do with the main story. But, this is going to work out, right? It’s all going to come together and make sense. (Trying to convince myself.)

My total word count for NaNo is now 29,329, which means that in the remaining 7 days I have to write 20,671 words! Yikes! Let’s see … that makes an average of … 2953 words a day. Oh drat, I’ve not written that many in one day through this whole challenge — yet. Looks as if that is going to have to change! The fun thing is that I have completed 59% of the 50,000 words!

PiBoIdMo is still looking good. I came up with two more ideas today for that challenge. Granted, they aren’t very good ones and would need a lot of work, but .. they still count. I now have 35 ideas for PiBo.

Today I also worked on Valley Sunshine. I finally have this issue completed and next have to print it all off on my duplicating machine, get the copies all put together and stapled .. and then into the mail they go! Yay! Hoping I can do all that tomorrow and then have my evening to write, write, write for NaNo!

When I get all this writing done – this phase of it – I am really looking forward to getting back into reading. I have such an accumulation of books waiting for me. And I have some to write reviews for as well.

What are you reading? Are you finding any quality time for that?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 22: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Monday, Day 22 of NaNoWriMo found me struggling a little with this story. I have ideas to put into it but tying it all together is the trick. I have to get a move on, too, because I only have eight days left and I’m over 9000 words behind the suggested word total for this date. Today I wrote only 1036 words. Obviously I am going to have to start earlier in the evening or take a whole day and just write. Hopefully, I can do that soon – ideally this week. I don’t want to have to do a major catch-up the last two days of this challenge.

My total now for NaNo is 27561, bringing it to 56% completed.

Today I sent the photo of myself for the bug caricature drawing that I won in PiBoIdMo. I look forward to seeing what the illustrator does with it. 🙂 [Note November 20’s post: Day 19: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo; aka: what bug would you be?]

I wasn’t going to spend a lot of time trying to come up with a new idea for PiBo since I have already ‘won’ that challenge, but an idea popped into my head, anyway. It’s something I had thought of months ago, but I’d forgotten about it. I think it’s okay to add an ‘old’ idea at this point since it’s idea #33 and 30 are needed to win. 🙂

So, are you ahead or behind or just on time with your projects?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 21: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Sunday, Day 21 of NaNoWriMo and PiBoIdMo: Sunday is always a busy day for me, time away from writing, computer, home. I got up early this morning and spent some time reading my Bible, then we got ready to go pick up our grandson to go to fellowship with me. He enjoys the worship music and Sunday School. This morning he was very squirmy – his money for the offering kept falling out of his pocket, his papers and book (to keep him occupied if needed) fell onto the floor when he was enjoying the music, then his crayons followed suit so that he finally decided to pick them all up and sit there and colour. That was nice for awhile. 🙂 He is so darling.

I think I neglected to mention in last night’s post that we got snow in the afternoon so that I was ‘encouraged’ to get out my winter boots. It was cold today, icy and windy, so boots and winter jacket it was! Looks as if winter weather has arrived. (I’m not complaining but .. blah! and brrr! and — blah!)

This evening (Sunday) I did not get into Valley Sunshine but I did work on my NaNo writing. I’m continuing my wondering about how I am ever going to sort this story out and get it on paper (I’m writing longhand) in no less than 50,000 words before November 30 comes and goes, taking with it my last chance to complete this challenge for a win. Completing is winning and I must complete! I did manage to squeak out 1298 words, taking my total count to 26525 and my completion up to 54%. [just a note here: yesterday the counter finally showed my % and it was over 50% to 51%. No big deal? Well, you try writing in this pressure cooker and see how much 1% point means! 🙂 ]

Tonight in my NaNo story there was another interesting little extra that got written in, another little thing that adds to the mystery and probably aiding in the final solving of it. I think. Maybe. Quite possibly. 🙂

PiBoIdMo is not something I have to be concerned about anymore since I met the goal, but I am still trying to come up with an idea a day until that challenge ends. Today’s was not coming until just past midnight, after I had posted my word count for NaNoWriMo, but I did get an idea which I’m counting for Sunday’s. For some reason I remembered a young bluejay that was snubbed by his siblings .. and I had my story idea.

Have a great week. What’s on your agenda?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂