For those of you who’ve seen NaNoWriMo popping up all over the place the past couple of weeks and are wondering what it’s all about, the following cartoon gives a neat summary:
I decided writing 50,000 words was an unrealistic goal for me. Instead I decided to use November to write an average of 1,000 words a day on my work in progress, my second novel. This project has been stalled for the last three months. Back in July I hit 47,000 words and the difficult “middle section”: not as exciting as the start, not as thrilling as nearing the end. I think it may be the writing equivalent of “the wall”.
And… so far, so good! As of last night I have written 15,421 in fifteen days 🙂
So although I won’t write 50,000 words in November and “win” NaNoWriMo, it looks like I will be 30,000 words further towards “The End” and hopefully closer to the original plan of having a first draft written by Christmas.
To everyone else doing NaNoWriMo and those having to live, work or interact with anyone taking part: keep going! You can do it! 15 days down, only 15 to go. Oh, and I find chocolate helps…
If you’re taking part in NaNoWriMo 2015, how’s it going? If you’d like to be writing buddies, you can find me on the NaNo site under my Twitter handle: ClaraVal 🙂
Art and Soul 
I wish you well 🙂
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Thank you! I just need to keep up the momentum.
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You (keep) go(ing) girl!
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Good for you!! The middle part has always been difficult for me. I’ve lost track of stories I’ve given up on when I’ve reached the wall. Good for you for persevering! I’m doing NaNo and doing pretty well so far, but I know the real work will be Dec 1 when I begin to sort through it!
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It’s great to hear your Nano is going well 🙂
I remember hitting the same wall with my first novel. For me, it’s just a case of writing semi-pathetic stuff until I get back to the bit which I’m most interested in. Then A LOT changes in editing! 🙂
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I agree, the mid point of a book is the hardest part for me too. Often, I’ve written out endings before the middle haha.
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I have a draft of the final scene (unfinished) in another file – haha!
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I am doing NaNoWriMo for the first time this year. I think it’s a good experience because it helps keep you motivated to write a little every day (even if it’s not 1667 words), so it creates a good habit too. I don’t have hopes of ending up with anything polished though, this will be a very rough draft, but considering the things I have changed since my planned outline, I’d say it was already worth it. I am at the moment with 24k words, not too sure if I am going to ‘win’, but for me, what is important is that I’ve managed to write more words and get more work done in my novel. Best of luck:)
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Thank you!
24K is amazing. Even if you don’t “win” you’ll have written a lot in a month and have lots to polish later.
I completely agree about the motivation. I think that’s what I’ve been missing. Hopefully this will get me back in the habit of writing something every day.
Good luck!
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baahaha I love the little cartoons. Especially the 3rd frame in the first comic:) Congrats, you’ve done more than me. I haven’t had time thanks to crazy crap happening in my life. Like, Beta reading…which this one has a deadline). And a stupid online CPR course I have to finish AND watching my 2 daughters full time. Gah…
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Random life stuff and submissions of novel #1 are partly to blame for me writing nothing for 3 months (although I should have made an effort to write something). Sometimes I just need everything to stop for half an hour…
I love the cartoons. If you go to the artist’s website, she has a whole section of Nano cartoons!
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OMG sometimes I just want to stop time for a week so I can sit and write without stuff getting in the way. Life is driving me crazy. I’m getting impatient. Bah! I know, I know, I need to relax…I find it easier to write somewhere other than my home because at home I worry about laundry, cleaning, other chores, etc.
If I write elsewhere, I don’t worry so much haha
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Reblogged this on Life, love, and writing and commented:
These cartoons reflect the crazyiness that is NaNoWriMo. The first cartoon made me laugh out loud, which is why I’m reblogging it here. We’re all crazy in some way or another.
Happy NaNoWriMo mid-point
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Thank you for sharing this! 🙂 The cartoons are hilarious… They’re a great reflection of how wonderfully crazy the whole idea is!
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Yes! I did wonder what this was! Thank you. Hope you enjoy it and continue to find it useful to get you over the tricky middle hump x
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I remember the first time I saw it mentioned last year and thinking, “Eh?!”
Thank you. If I can keep going at this pace for November I’ll be pleased 🙂
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Keep on truckin’, Claire! I’m in the same boat, hoping to get a full draft done by x-mas. Good writing vibes to you! 😉
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Thank you! Good luck to you too 🙂
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Thank you! 😀
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Good luck Claire!
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Thank you! I’m sticking with it so far. Only two more weeks to go 🙂
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wow it sounds very difficult!
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Good luck! I’m doing NaNoWriMo too under T.K. Lawrence. 🙂
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Great! I’ll look for you on the site 🙂
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