Writing a Novel has always been on my list of to do’s in life. Ok, its top of the list, but it just never happened. I was too busy being sucked into planning to actually ever get any words down so I decided to suck it up, and get on with it. As a first timer to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. But this is how I see it:
Week 1: And we’re off… The thrill of NaNo, everyone’s ahead. Loving life, love NaNo. Chat NaNo, talk NaNo, bore people to death with NaNo, have no problems with plot, structure or characters, on a role, “I can do this shit” euphoria. Taptaptaptaptaptap, burn taptaptap still buzzing, shovel sugar in, tell EVERYONE about it some more, chatter chatter excitement excitement more sugar.
Week2: We’re riding the high, riding the high, riding the high….. put on 2lbs in sugar and chocolate – thats ok, its only 2lbs, can lose it after. Riding the high of NaNo….
CRASH, BURN, DIE. I HATE MYSELF. I’M SHIT AT WRITING. I’M SHIT AT EVERYTHING.
Writers block, unblocked, blocked again, Shovel more chocolate in to cure depressive writers mentality. Self criticise. Stupid NaNo. Suddenly remember why you started the challenge, tap tap tap, chocolate, crisps, hate on work for getting in the way of writing, tap tap. Feel the burn, feel the slump, can’t do it any more, for the love of god why did I start this… Stupid idea. Hate my story anyway, It’s shit, I’m shit. Row with the husband/wife/partner for writing too much and not talking to you despite their full support at the beginning of the month. Tap tap, Oh I made it to the end of week 2.
Week 3: NaNOOOOOOOOOO burn, exhaustion, head cold, sore throat, RSI, Neck ache, back ache, everything fucking ache, chocolate, ready meals, ready meals, more ready meals too busy writing, forget to bath the kid, put on another 3lbs, HATE my book, but come too fucking far to stop. Someone says something annoying on stupid forums, hate them, hate work, fight the urge to throw laptop, throw something else instead, fight the urge to delete story, tap tap tap, tap tap tap, I’m behind (hate life), I’m ahead (love my story), I’m behind (hate life), I’m at par (thank god for that), tap tap tap, I’m behind (fuck my life). More chocolate, seen midnight every night this week, I’m ahead, oh its the end of week three…. Love my story.
Week 4: Baring in mind we’re not there yet, here’s how I am hoping it goes:
Oh My God, It’s the start of the last week. SHIT it’s the start of the last week, WAIT…. it’s the start of the last week…. it’s nearly over…. I CAN DO IT…. burn, more chocolate more sweets, M.U.S.T. keep typing, tap tap tap, late night writing, lunch break writing, writing on my phone in the work toilets, writing on the train, writing sentences in meetings on my notebook. Feeling the burn, can see the light, just three more days, tap tap tap, love my book, tell everyone how close you are to finishing, tap tap, chat about NaNo, love my story…. one more day, tap tap I can DOOOO IT.
MADE IT MADE IT MADE IT. Thank god its over I’m never doing it again…..
335 days later… Repeat cycle.
My first Nano, too. Apart from changing my profile pic to the participant badge on facebook, twatter, google+ (and myfitnesspal, but that’s another story), I haven’t really involved anyone in Nano, or even talked about it very much. Okay, my wife doesn’t need to read the story; I’ve read most of it to her, and I did tell my main client for web work that I wanted an easy time of it in November (made no difference).
Well im still impressed! Im at 37797 so not far to go but still a whopping 12K! I do have a one year old in my defence!
Okay. A one-year-old trumps four dogs with kennel cough, and a two-day trip to Paris to return the two we had been looking after.
Besides, 37797 is still ahead of the game – 75% done in 67% of the month, and it’s only one word for every three you’ve already done.
It’s going to happen!
haha, i love the stats!!! that made my day!