It has begun.
Started my first NaNoWriMo this past week, and it’s going pretty well so far. I’m challenging myself creatively and actually having fun. Who would’ve guessed?
If you’re wondering how I prepared for NaNo, check out my previous blog post. I go into more depth on that and what I’m focusing on.
Even though it’s my first NaNo, I’m doing it a bit differently than most writers.
With that said, here’s a quick recap of the week:
Day 1
- Started with tons of energy.
- Got home from the day job and entered a transition time. (Basically a bit of rest and meditation.)
- After my transition time, took a quick peek at my super simple outline to see if I could get “something.”
- Tried using the Intuitive Writing method (check out Lauren Sapala for more info on that).
- Felt great the entire time as the words just kept pouring out.
- Really felt in touch with my main characters and curious to see where they take me next.
- Listening to instrumental music was a big help.
- The writing came naturally and things really seemed to click.
- Spent 90 minutes writing.
Day 2
- Continued the energy from yesterday.
- Enjoyed spending plenty of quality time with my writing, characters, and story.
- Learned more about my two main characters than I thought. They seem pretty awesome and make quite the team. (I hope you get to meet them some day, haha.)
- Noticed that the story is coming to me in fragments (bits and pieces of the story rather than entire chapters or scenes).
- Loving the NaNo experience so far (probably remnants of “starting energy”).
- Surprised at how the words are flowing naturally using the Intuitive Writing method. I also wrote faster than ever.
- Spent 90 minutes writing.
Day 3
- My characters didn’t have as much to say today.
- I want to get more in-touch with them though, to really make a connection.
- Experimented with giving myself less “transition time” between my day job and my creative time.
- Life happened, so I only managed 60 minutes of writing, but it was still a fruitful day.
Day 4
- Rest day
Day 5
- Rest day
Recap
Total writing time (so far):
- 240 minutes
What’s working:
- Listening to instrumental music during a writing session is an enormous help
- Having at least 15 minutes of “transition time” helps me get into a creative mindset.
What’s NOT working:
- Decided to mostly ditch the outline, but might take a quick glance now and then as a habit.
Overall:
I think I had a pretty good start to NaNo and getting a good feel for it. My characters are still a bit “shy,” but I think they’ll open up more to me soon. Now I’ll be trying to add a bit more writing time from here on out. I also found that writing the story in pieces rather than chronologically is allowing me to write more and at a quicker pace (which I found somewhat surprising). The more transition time I give myself, the more I feel my creative juices bubble to the surface. I like it 🙂
Where I’ll be focusing next week:
Going to continue writing intuitively, listening to music, and having at least 15 minutes of transition time between the day job and writing. I’m also going to aim to increase my writing time.
How’s NaNo going for you so far? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
See you for next week’s update!
Jeff Aybar is a writer, writing & creativity coach, Sci-Fi/Fantasy nerd, INFJ, veteran, and all-around creative. You can get a free copy of his guide for writers and artists on starting the creative journey by signing up to his newsletter HERE.