Alas, November is over. The craze to finish 50,000 words in 30 days is done. For those who finished National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) with 50,000 words or more under your belt – Congratulations!
For those who didn’t reach their goal or weren’t able to participate in NaNoWriMo, that’s okay. But we do hope you got something done.
Recently, I heard an interview with Jim Butcher, author of the Dresden Files and Codex Alera series, where he gave out a very keen piece of writing advice. Writing is all about momentum. Even if you only write one word, the most important thing is that you’re writing.
It is so very true.
So, in that vein, we Fictorians would like challenge everyone to keep the momentum of NaNoWriMo going. If you won, why stop now? That book isn’t finished! If you didn’t, November isn’t the only month you can write like a madman-get that book started!
Thus, December is Keeping it Going month here at the Fictorian Era. All month, we’ll be focusing on ways to keep your writing flowing despite distractions, procrastinations, and plain old boredom. We’ll be giving you tricks and tips for productivity, ways to use craft to keep the words going, and we’ll be exploring the truth behind that pesky idea of writer’s block. Later this month, we’ll even be getting a visit from Dan Wells from the award winning Writing Excuses podcast and author of I Am Not a Serial Killer and Partials.
So, tell us, how did you do in November? Did you finish NaNoWriMo? If not, what happened? And be sure to stick around, and let us know how you keep the momentum going.
It was funny because I wrote around 700 words, last night, and almost chastised myself for writing so little when my minimum for each day is 500 words. It was kind on an odd feeling, but I needed to get myself to switch from “word counts” to “writing daily”. Some days could be several thousand words, but as long as I am writing at least 500 words a day, I am making good progress. But it really is hard to move from the 1667/day to allowing yourself to write no fewer than 500 words. The idea is to make writing as much of my normal everyday experience as possible, without the mandated 50k in 30 days. What NaNoWriMo has shown me is that I can indeed do that if needed to do so. But the important thing is to be writing.
That’s it exactly! It’s always important to set yourself goals, but the first goal should always be to get the butt in the chair. Never let a missed word count detract from the fact that you actually did make some progress, even if it wasn’t as much as you had hoped.
Never let a missed goal bum you out so much that you lose sight of the real win – you’re writing! That’s never a bad thing no matter how many words get on the page.
I think it’s particularly hard at this time of year. December is a busy month for everyone with holiday parties, preparations, and the everyday still demanding its share. I think you’re right about the Butt in Chair. The important thing is to write every day, but if that’s only 50 words because you’ve got to get the house clean for the party this weekend, that’s okay. The consistency counts, and a less hectic January is around the corner. That’s when my word count goals will matter, which is perfect since January is goal month. 🙂
Thanks for your comments, both of you.
I’ve pretty much resigned myself to knowing that December is a time that I just need to write consistently, even if I don’t write as much. The goal is to just write something, even if it is just a page (at 1.5 spacing). I figure if I am consistent with my writing, then I will at the very least be 30 pages closer to finishing my story. And with a move, early in the new year, I might just have to set my expectations to match those of December, until the move happens.