Thursday, November 14, 2013

Writing Update

I am pleased with my progress with NaNoWriMo so far.  I have never written this much ever, not in any attempt at writing or NaNo.  The last chapter I wrote, ended up as total shit.  It wasn't what I was expecting for it.  I'm a panster, I don't have outlines and stuff like that.  I have a general idea of where I want things to go, but I have just been letting the words pour out and where ever it ends up is where it stays for now.  I have tried to redeem it somewhat, so we will see.  Right now it's all about the word count and not how good or bad it is.

Today is day 14, which means the should have written 23,333 words so far.  My current word count is at 20,913.  I am coming up a bit short at the moment, but that's okay because I know I can still meet the goal.  I also feel like I need to make up for the day I decided to rebel instead of stick with the story I am working on.  I was already upset that the chapter turned into a shit-fest, but then I got pissed off at other things and I figured being a rebel for a day was better than not writing at all.  So that's like another almost 1600 words I need or want to make up for.  To make up for everything, I need right around 4,000 words today.  I know I can do it.  I just find I procrastinate until the last minute.  I can't help it, part of me is amazed at how many words I can put out in the last hour or two of the day.  It's a bad habit I'm forming if I let myself keep doing it.

I know I can write close to 5,000 words in about 3 hours.  That was what I needed to catch up last week when I pulled a muscle in my lower back.  I went to YouTube and found a LotR Trilogy soundtrack to listen to and just wrote and wrote and wrote.  There was about 10 minutes left on the play time when I finished.  That was probably one of my proudest days so far.

You know I see a lot of people that are participating that are posting stuff about how stressful it is and how they have no life for the month, among other things.  I used to stress...A LOT...about NaNo.  This year though, I decided to take a different approach mentally.  I really don't know what "clicked" and made the difference.  I know I am not letting myself stress over.  And I do have a life.  I still can watch my shows and play my games, I can still raid 3 nights a week with my guild in World of Warcraft.  I have been able to go out, too.  This isn't an editors deadline or word count here people, relax and have fun.  Big difference in my "omg doom and gloom" attitude of NaNos past I can tell you. 

Like I said, I don't know what changed for me or in me.  But something has.  It's almost like a light bulb went off or a switch got flipped.  I truly cannot explain it.  Do I think what I have is publishable?  Hell no!  Do I think it's any good?  Right now, another HELL NO!  Is it going to be worth editing and then perhaps sending out to query?  Um, I don't know.  The goal right now it just to get it out of my head.  Then I will see about getting a hard copy printed off and red penning it.  After that, I dunno.  But for now, I am just going to enjoy myself and the fact that I am finally writing.

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