Holy crap, only a few days left!
We’re nearly there and with NaNoWriMo finally winding down, I’m more than ready to put the finishing touches on my fiction writing for the month (are you ready for November to be over too? Lol).
Like with previous posts, if you’ve missed past weekly updates or how I prepped for NaNo, check them out on my blog.
Let’s see how week four went!
Day 20
- Rest day
Day 21
- Not the most productive day, but overall pretty decent.
- Got to witness an intimate scene involving my main character. She is desperately seeking answers to her most important question and is at a breaking point. I feel bad for her, but it had me glued to my computer screen (lol).
- I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel drained creatively. I’m taking things slowly and putting my best creative foot forward. Sometimes that’s all that matters.
- Spent 50 minutes writing
- (Fun fact: Before attempting NaNo, 50 minutes of dedicated fiction writing time was more than I thought I could handle at once. I only wrote in 20 minute bursts for a while).
Day 22
- Managed a super short writing session today, but it was a pretty focused one.
- Definitely my shortest NaNo writing session.
- My characters had a funny conversation with a witty alchemist (I’m curious to see where the relationship goes).
- It’s almost Thanksgiving and I may not be able to make as much time as I would like for writing. I’ll try to sneak away for a short writing session if I can.
- Pieces of the story were coming in nicely despite making less time to write.
- Even though it’s all over the place, I’m happy with how the story is progressing.
- I can safely say that NaNo is a worthy challenge (lol).
- Spent 25 minutes writing
Day 23
- Rest day
Day 24
- Rest day (Happy Thanksgiving!)
Day 25
- Inching closer and closer to the end.
- Snuck away from the holiday festivities for a decent writing session.
- I’m putting forth as much “finishing energy” as I can, all things considered.
- I’ll be able to carve out more writing time during the last two to three days of NaNo.
- There’s a lot going on in my story with many characters crossing paths. If things go well enough, turning this book into a series would be pretty cool.
- Looking forward to the last confrontation between my protagonist and antagonist and how the story wraps up (even if it doesn’t happen during NaNo).
- Spent 40 minutes writing
Day 26
- Rest day
Day 27
- Rest day
Recap
Writing time this week:
115 minutes
Total writing time (so far):
985 minutes
What’s working:
Transition time, music, using an intuitive method of writing (think “mental” downloads rather than working with an outline) have all been invaluable.
What’s NOT working:
I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on my fiction writing process. I’ve gotten rid of all the things that weren’t working up to now, and it’s just a matter of reaching the finish line in a way that feels right.
Overall:
Wasn’t able to get much writing done this week with all the holiday festivities starting up, but I did sneak in a couple of writing sessions where I could. I feel like I’ve grown creatively since starting NaNo and am much more comfortable writing for longer sessions than before. If I take anything away from this year’s NaNoWriMo (aside from a really really messy manuscript) it’s that I’ve grown significantly as a writer and as a creative individual.
Where I’ll be focusing during the last few days:
Even though I’ve had more fun during NaNo than I thought I ever would’ve, I’m ready for the month to be over. With only a few days left, I’m just going to do my best to listen as best I can to my characters. And I’ll be dedicating as much time as I can where I can to my writing.
Have I mentioned I’m ready for November to end? (Lol).
How’s your NaNo been going? Are you as ready as I am for the end?
See you next week for the thrilling conclusion (and lessons learned) of my first NaNoWriMo. Happy writing!
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.