Wednesday, November 30, 2011

I'm not dead yet

...just swamped with client-related work, unusually so for the post-Thanksgiving "lull."

But here's your chance to tell me all about your NaNoWriMo experience: did you win? (Let's talk soon about "winning" NaNoWriMo and why I have mixed feelings about it -- remind me.)

What was your word count?

Did you meet your personal goals?

Are you pleased with the outcome and/or the work in progress?

When will you start revisions?

What advice would you share with a would-be NaNo-er, based on your experience?

Tell me, tell me.

7 comments:

Elizabeth O Dulemba said...

I did it! I 'won'! At 54,641 words I got my first draft down on paper. The story is thorough and there were a few surprises along the way. I've already started my revisions - I'm three chapters in - and am pleasantly surprised at the quality of my writing. Might I actually be learning how to do this? Hm. So yes, I am Very pleased with how I did. The trick? Writing your daily goal must be the first priority for each day, like exercising or eating breakfast. I only missed one day with that mentality - it really helped. :) e

Jessica Brockmole said...

Way to go, Elizabeth!

This year was the first that I didn't "win". Only got to 32k. But, with other things going on this month, I set a personal goal of 30k, and did meet that. I feel like I won in getting myself to start a new project (something I've not been able to do for a while) and in having fun doing so. I did lose in my other goal, though, in that I couldn't get myself back into a regular writing rhythm, which I'd hoped NaNo would help me with this year. When I wrote, it was in binges, so, in that sense, I'm no better off than I was before November.

I didn't come close to finishing my story and ended up with a bit of a plot tangle that I have to straighten out before I continue, but NaNo did give me the energy to dust off another project, and I might try adding to both simultaneously for a while.

Shoshanna Evers said...

This was also the first year I didn't win, but I'm not beating myself up over it - life happened in a major way this month.

In short, DH and I put our house on the market (which means writing time has become decluttering and packing time) and on January 1st we're moving to Florida! Oh, and I had a book come out (Bedhead from Ellora's Cave) on the 25th, so I had last minute edits etc and then promo for that.

But excuses aside, I still managed about 15k, half my normal monthly output. If I can just write another 6 or 7k before we move I'll have The Dominatrix Fantasy series done and ready for my betas. :)

Amalia Dillin said...

I made it over 50,000 by my personal goal date of the 16th so that I was free and clear for the holiday with my family. I don't know how much of my second 25K is usable at all, but I think I'll just let it simmer for a few months before I make any decisions one way or the other. I've got several other projects that need some attention and revision first and I usually don't get serious about revising anything from NaNoWriMo until at least the new year, anyway.

All in all, Nano was very productive for me, and I'm glad to have had the extra kick to finish up the project I was in the middle of--I only counted the post November 1 words for Nano--even if I'm not thrilled with the project I got a start on to make it to 50K. If that's cheating, I can live with the results!

Karen said...

I didn't make it this year either. It's the first year I haven't made the 50K. We had a major project at work and I knew it was going to be tight, but I worked too many weekends and late nights.

I'm very happy with my story so far, even if I only managed 25,000 words.

Re revisions. I didn't finish last year's revisions until June.

Victoria Pinder said...

I made it this year. I was so proud of myself this year. I started on the next book in my series and 20K into that and decided to just do something different in November. I had an old outline for a 50K category romance to do and said, do it. I finished with 50,241. I'm 'kind of' 'just' 'sort of' 'really' editing it now (basically cut these words.) I feel happy that it's done. And I'm more editing the first novel of my series that needed the work now. I'm happy to have something else under my belt that's new.

And I made at least one friend who self publishes her romance novels but not in professional organizations. Most people scoffed 'oh you write romance.' But all in all good to get out there.

My advice is to have a basic outline done before November 1st. Knowing the characters or the basic idea of the plot written down was crucial for the 50K word crunch.

Amy said...

My goal was to work toward a second-draft restructuring of work I'd done this spring. I didn't get the entire thing rearranged, but I got over the large hill and creating an outline to guide me in finishing the restructure over Christmas break from school. So, in that sense, I won. Yay!
I didn't write 50k words, though, so in that sense I didn't. Yeah, whatever. Let's talk soon about "winning..." ;)