I'm sort of waiting to hear from some NaNoWriMo writers about their experiences this year. I didn't do it, but only because of what I learned the first year I participated. I learned that I don't have wrists or fingers that can do 1666 words a day every day for a month. I succeeded in putting out the words for about a week and a half my first time, then had to resort to ice and NSAIDs.
But I got a cool spreadsheet out of it. NaNo no longer uses it, but I do. The writers that year were encouraged to borrow the spreadsheet, adapt it, and use it however they wanted to. I still use variations of it for my projects.
So my main takeaways were the knowledge of just how much I CAN write per day and survive--and the spreadsheet.
I'd like to know if anyone else gained insights, self-knowledge, practical tips, or a full novel from the experience this year.
This was my 5th NaNo, and the hardest by far. I don't know what it was about it this year, but I got behind and didn't catch back up until the last day when it was do or die.
ReplyDeleteBut you did catch up! Good going, Doug.
ReplyDeletecould you tell us about the spreadsheet? Sounds like an organizational tool that could rescue me from my own chaos.
ReplyDeleteI did do Nano again this year, second year. Finally got through to the end of a WIP that was stalled. Or course everything changed, and the next draft will not look anything like the first. But got to the end!
Kath
Kath, if you email me at kayegeorge at gmail dot com I'll send you a copy. Or copies. I have several versions.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're on your way with the manuscript!