Things I Learned in This Year's NaNoWriMo

Last month, I participated in NaNoWriMo for the fifth time.

I entered this year with a different mentality and different goals than I had in previous years. Instead of writing 50,000 words in 30 days, I was going to try to finish the project I had worked on my previous two attempts. This project, Urban Legend, was inspired by my love of comic books and street level superheroes, and it asks a burning question in my mind.

What would happen when someone with a mask starts killing people who turned out to be evil?

My idea had the viewpoints of local politicians, the media, the police, and the citizens all competing. It’s an ambitious thing.

When I started NaNo this year, the project sat at 27,644 words. On November 30th, the project sat at 53,467. For those of us who count on their fingers and toes (don’t judge me, I’m good with words, not numbers) that’s 25,823 words in one month. It’s about halfway to the 50,000-word goal the challenge sets, but I made it halfway! I haven’t written that many words on one project in one month in my life! As I evaluated the month and my progress in the challenge, I took the time to figure out what I did different this year that I hadn’t done at any other time.

1. Schedule the time and show up. My writing time was my writing time. Full stop. It helps that the profession I’m currently in allows me several hours of downtime that I can use how I see fit (I mean, as long as the job is getting done). Before this year’s NaNo, I had a hard time writing at home, though. All the creature comforts are there, as are all the distractions. But I made it a point to carve out two to three hours a day on my off days to write. That time was mine; I put on headphones, listened to some solid music, and wrote what I could. Over the month, those words piled up. An accountability app I have also helped by giving me not-so-subtle reminders to work on the story. (Write-o-Meter, if you’re interested. It’s not widely available through app stores anymore, but you can get it through an APK site).

2. Plan the work, then work the plan. I tried to be a pantser. I did. I had been one for much of my writing life. But after getting stuck too many times and writing myself into too many corners, I needed a change. I wrote a detailed outline of the second and third acts using OneNote (I’m not getting paid by anyone to endorse this stuff, but when it works, it works). Following those beats, I was able to stay on message with the story without venturing out into any weeds. It streamlined things and made it so much easier to get started and push through.

3. Don’t be afraid to write nonsense. I used to be obsessed with getting a story right the first time, making sure that everything I wanted to happen was on the page exactly how I wanted to make it happen. That made writing painfully slow. Now, I’m sure I’m not the only person to have issues with their inner editor, but the nature of NaNoWriMo forces you to shut that editor up. And yes, some of the stuff you write is pure word vomit. But that’s okay. It took me so long to learn that it’s okay to write stuff that you know probably won’t make the final version. Nonsense is good because it prioritizes getting the story told. Getting it perfect can happen later.

4. Take breaks. Sitting in front of a laptop screen for multiple hours a day sounds suspiciously like work, and writing is supposed to be something you enjoy. Every so often, get up and look at some natural light, or at the very least something else. Again, I’m fortunate that my job enforces the Pomodoro Method because it makes me take notes on my patients every 30 minutes. But taking some time to go for a walk, exercise, or shower made it easier for me to focus when I came back to it.

5. Celebrate the accomplishments, even the little ones. I gave myself such a hard time in the past when I didn’t finish NaNo projects. I’d get despondent toward the end of the month and disappointed when I fell well short of the 50K target. It was the same this year. After a strong start, I fell off the pace. But this time around, my fiancée would tell me one little tidbit: it’s more words than you had yesterday. She would cheer when I gave her my word count at the end of the day, and over time I started to be proud of it, too. And even though every day didn’t have the heady 2,000 words of progress of the beginning of the month, or even the recommended progress of 1,667, I’d be happy that I got down 600 or 700 words because it was more than I had yesterday.

6. Give yourself a treat. At the beginning of the month, I said that I would enjoy a glass of this special, hard-to-get-where-I-am, honey rye whiskey if I finished my story. I didn’t. But I did hit 50K on the project as a whole, and that is certainly something. On the days I didn’t feel like writing, a look at that bottle made me try. It’s not necessarily about the alcohol (even though, spoiler alert, it was damn good). The promise of something special once you do something difficult can be the catalyst that makes you push forward.

7. Don’t go at it alone. The NaNoWriMo community is incredibly welcoming and encourages participation. That stuff is obviously easier when you can meet in person, but while we were mostly denied the opportunity to gather, Facebook groups and Zoom chats were a healthy replacement.

I learned a ton about myself and my abilities over November, and it’s a set of lessons I hope to refine over time. Like I said, I didn’t finish the story, and I still haven’t. But to date, I’m at over 57,000 words, and the end is in sight.

I’d say that calls for a drink.

What did you learn or accomplish last month? Sound off in the comments!

#nanowrimo #december #writing #writelife #reflection #goodbooze