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  • Confessions of a NanoWrimo Failure

    As previously mentioned on this blog, a little over a month ago I suggested to Jess Barnes that it would be a good idea for us to participate (unofficially) in National Novel Writing Month. The goal: write 50,000 words during the month of November.

    And the result: about 14,000 words.

    So, I’m a NanoWrimo failure. I could make some excuses–like how in the middle of the month my agent suggested that I work on a different book than the one I had been writing. Or how work was really busy. Or how I was working on a freelance project (which might not be entirely true, as I didn’t actually start it until December).

    But the excuses just don’t cut it. I shoulda written more. I coulda made my goal. I just got distracted by shiny things that seemed more fun than writing.

    So I failed to meet my goal, but I’m convinced that it wasn’t a complete waste to try. You know that saying: Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars. Cheesy, yes. But I think it fits. I mean, I might not have made my goal, but I certainly wrote more than I would have without any goal. And those 14,000 words? They’re not too shabby. They gave me a really strong start to my next book, gave me a foundation from which to write the synopsis. It helped me really get into the characters’ heads and figure out where the story needed to go.

    I refuse to beat myself up over being a NanoWrimo failure. I’m just glad that I’m still writing. And stretching myself as a writer is never a bad thing. Next year. Same goal. More discipline.

    Same attitude.

    3 thoughts on “Confessions of a NanoWrimo Failure

    1. YAY!! Another NanoWrimo failure. lol. I didn’t even count whatever I ended up with…Next year, baby.

       
       
    2. Reading a diet/exercise book (a Waterbrook Multnomah one at that) that says you just need to address each day. Don’t worry about the past or look to far in the future. Just make good decisions today. So you can celebrate those 14,000 words and then decide to write more today. And then again tomorrow after it has turned into today.

      Easy to tell you this…guess I need to apply it to my writing as well. 🙂

       
       
      1. Oh, that would be One Day Way by Chantel Hobbs. 🙂 Yes, it’s a good way to look at mistakes and failures. Take it one day at a time. Keep up your writing!

         
         

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