#NaNoWriMo, I salute you…

…for being the only means by which I have ever completed a novel.  Twice.

This November was rather different from the last.  Last year I had a fairly chilled out November; this year it was somewhat more manic.  Last year I finished 10 days early; this year I was typing right up until November 30th.  Last year I had thrown together a chapter plan; this year I had the basic plot but essentially I was ‘winging it’.  Both years I only decided I was doing it at the last minute. Yes, today I rapped out the end of my second novel in two years (utterly different from the first) and was verified as a NaNoWriMo ‘winner’.

Both have been very different experiences.  Last year was certainly less stressful, but that was more to do with the external circumstances – this November we had a week where we were away in the middle, during which I also had my induction for the Magnet editorial team.  I’ve also been working on an issue of the magazine for next year.  The church magazine needed doing as soon as I got back. Plus, our kitchen has been remodelled – more on that in another post.  Inevitably there’s been a whole lot of re-organising and cleaning needed in the wake of that.  All in all, jobs and chores have arisen that I simply didn’t have to deal with last year.

But this novel is more ‘me’.  In a sense it’s a load of implausible twaddle, but it has the quirkiness that I desired and I feel I’ve got something to work with.

So here at the end, I’m pleased I’ve done it, although my goodness did I need to discipline myself towards the end, when I was catching up on lost time.  Writing at least 7,500 words yesterday was a lot for me.

But…a chapter plan might have been helpful.  I think next time I’ll definitely try and do that.  If I hadn’t loved this story, I’m not sure I could have done it with as little planning as I did.  Thankfully I did love it, which gave me the required momentum.  Just.

But I’d never have done it without the structure and motivation of National Novel Writing Month behind me.

So NaNoWriMo, I certainly do salute you.  You’ve shown me what I can do.

Even if it is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever written.

But I like ridiculous.

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Related Posts:

Why I love #NaNoWriMo

Reflecting on NaNoWriMo (2010)