NaNoWriMo
Six months ago…has it really been six months since I last wrote blog post? (I guess I’m a writer not a blogger)…I pondered doing NanoWriMo. Well, guess what? I’ve decided to take the plunge. Despite all my better judgement (I explained last post why November is traditionally a terrible time for me to start new projects), I’m going to give it a go.
Why - especially when I’ve been struggling to write regularly and consistently now?
Well firstly, I’m hoping that the short, sharp, shock of trying to write 50,000 words in 30 days might help me get back into a routine longer term. And if I can do that at a time of year that normally isn’t that conducive for me to do it in, even better.
Secondly, I’ve often heard other writers in my writing community tell me that NanoWrimo is a kind of a write of passage (pun intended). It’s something you should at least try once, and you may just meet other like-minded writers along the way who might be able to help with your own project.
And finally, I’ve had an idea burning away in the back of my brain for a while now, that I’m keen to get started alongside my current pick up, put down sequel to Gabriel’s Trumpet, to keep me interested in fun new writing projects. (I know, I should be finishing what I’ve started, right?)
So, what do I want to get out of it? To be honest, I don’t have any huge expectations – I’m not fixated on making the 50,000 word target, but I am keen on seeing just what I can achieve in a month. Nor do I actually expect to anywhere near complete a finished novel. Even if I assume I do make the full word count target for NanoWriMo, I would expect to spend some time polishing and editing it until it’s ready as a standalone story…otherwise I’ll run the risk of simply ending up with 50,000 badly written words.
On the plus side, since I’ve registered I’ve already been approached by a small local independent documentary maker who is interested in doing a documentary on NanoWriMo, and how part-time writers juggle the demands of full time work and their own creative pursuits.
You can check out their website here https://www.hiddenflamingofilms.co.nz/
This adds a whole new creative realm to this project for me, and I’m looking forward to working with these guys to document my journey along the way. Hopefully I emerge from the other side of November and be able to share it with you sometime in the future.
Why - especially when I’ve been struggling to write regularly and consistently now?
Well firstly, I’m hoping that the short, sharp, shock of trying to write 50,000 words in 30 days might help me get back into a routine longer term. And if I can do that at a time of year that normally isn’t that conducive for me to do it in, even better.
Secondly, I’ve often heard other writers in my writing community tell me that NanoWrimo is a kind of a write of passage (pun intended). It’s something you should at least try once, and you may just meet other like-minded writers along the way who might be able to help with your own project.
And finally, I’ve had an idea burning away in the back of my brain for a while now, that I’m keen to get started alongside my current pick up, put down sequel to Gabriel’s Trumpet, to keep me interested in fun new writing projects. (I know, I should be finishing what I’ve started, right?)
So, what do I want to get out of it? To be honest, I don’t have any huge expectations – I’m not fixated on making the 50,000 word target, but I am keen on seeing just what I can achieve in a month. Nor do I actually expect to anywhere near complete a finished novel. Even if I assume I do make the full word count target for NanoWriMo, I would expect to spend some time polishing and editing it until it’s ready as a standalone story…otherwise I’ll run the risk of simply ending up with 50,000 badly written words.
On the plus side, since I’ve registered I’ve already been approached by a small local independent documentary maker who is interested in doing a documentary on NanoWriMo, and how part-time writers juggle the demands of full time work and their own creative pursuits.
You can check out their website here https://www.hiddenflamingofilms.co.nz/
This adds a whole new creative realm to this project for me, and I’m looking forward to working with these guys to document my journey along the way. Hopefully I emerge from the other side of November and be able to share it with you sometime in the future.
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