NaNoWriMo, 2021 – The First Week

happy november, cyberspace!

I was going to do a whole introduction post for the first day of NaNoWriMo last week, but alas alack, sometimes things don’t go according to plan.

The past two weeks have been silent here on my end of the blogosphere, but let me tell ya, folks: that time away was used for some much-needed rest. I have exactly 0 regrets. XD I’ve definitely missed being present on the blogs, though, and now that I’m back, I thought it would be fun to jump back in with a Weekly NaNoWriMo Recap! It’s crazy to think that we’re already a solid week into November, but I guess time truly does fly when you’re having fun! *awkward laughter*

Let’s take a look at the first week of NaNo, shall we?

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NANOWRIMO, 2021 – THE FIRST WEEK

THE PROGRESS

WORDS WRITTEN: 8,516
CHAPTERS COMPLETED: 4
CHAPTERS REMAINING: 11

As predicted, revising a novel for NaNoWriMo has already brought forth a whole host of random difficulties that were previously unforeseen. Take, for instance, the fact of progress charting. When one is working by chapters as I am, you can’t really focus too much on what the wordcount for the day is.

As I mentioned in this post last month, I’m currently working on the second draft of Project Sunset, my YA Fantasy set in an alternate universe. It’s been an absolute BLAST getting to rediscover the plot and the characters, but my goodness. Progress tracking for this NaNo has been a nightmare. XD Currently, the book is set to have about 30 chapters. This means that in order for me to hit my goal of half a completed manuscript by the end of November, I need to second draft 15 chapters–or half a chapter per day.

The issue? I have literally no clue when I’ve hit half a chapter. Which forces me to go further and finish a whole chapter each day. Which means that, if I continue with this trend, by the end of the month I’m going to have the entire second draft of this book written.

…*cough*overachiever*cough*

Of course, it’s the 6th day of NaNo and I’m only at 4 chapters done, so clearly I’ve been doing the proper amount of slacking off, thank goodness. But there’s still the confusion of converting chapters to wordcount. I did the math before the month began, but now that I’m in the middle of it… I’m just confused. XD Supposedly, I should be counting each chapter completed as 3,334 words done. This would, essentially, get me to 50k by the end of the 30 days. But it’s so ingrained inside of me to count my actual words written that I’ve just been… doing NaNo the normal way.

While revising.

Like an idiot.

Friends, I would highly recommend not listening to any sort of advice I give on progress tracking for NaNoWriMo. Or just any sort of advice I have for NaNoWriMo as a whole, because holy cow I’m breaking every single rule I made for myself during Preptober.

Taking a week off to write? Lol, nope.

Getting up early so that I can get my words in during the wee morning hours and not worry about it for the rest of the day? HAHA, YOU THOUGHT.

Not over-exerting myself because at the end of the day it’s just a writing challenge and I don’t need to stake victory over my enemies friends inner editor self-acceptance? ….yep, not this either.

To be quite frank with you all, I have never been more determined to prove to myself that I can write, blog, have a life, and work a full-time job while not sacrificing my sanity in the process. And while I’m still not entirely sure if I’ll win this NaNo or not, I have at least discovered that I had exactly 0 sanity to begin with. So there’s virtually no fear of me sacrificing it to the chaos at this point. Huzzah!

WEEK ONE HIGHLIGHTS

*insert AFV music here*

Of course, this wouldn’t be an accurate summary of the first week of November if I didn’t acknowledge some of the happier highlights! While there’s been a lot of awkward juggling to make the writing work this past week, I’m still super, super in love with this book, and I’m even more excited than ever to get this story into your hands someday… (*crosses fingers and wishes on a star*)

• The Characters… as predicted, getting to know these characters all over again has been one of the greatest blessings bestowed upon me this month. Ed and the Gang gave me SUCH trouble during the first drafting process that it didn’t even occur to me that I’d miss their chaotic energy as much as I have. Writing this second draft has been like coming home after an overnight stay at a friend’s house: you enjoyed your time away (writing another book), but you still kinda want to cry because you missed your own bed and everything feels safe again.
• The Plot… Now, I’m not here to toot my own horn, guys (lies. I’m always here to toot my own horn), but the story outline I finalized for this second draft has brought me nothing but pure, unadulterated joy the past 7 days. There are many, MANY changes that are being implemented this go around, but I’m learning that this is just the way I like it. I love tearing things apart and rebuilding them. I love poking at loose threads to see what they unravel into. This is the part of the creative process where I really and truly thrive.
• The Spontaneity… There’s something about the second draft that I had completely forgotten about until now, and that’s just how spontaneous it is. First drafting is incredible for its pure, undiluted creation. Every page is a blank page, every sentence a new start. With second drafts, you have the outline of the first draft to keep you in check when needed, but also the understanding that the first draft was the wrong draft. This draft, in comparison, has the potential to be the right one. Or at least as close to the right one as you can get right now. By chapter two I had completely thrown elements of my carefully constructed outline through the window, but I’m so excited with the way things are headed that I don’t even care. I feel like I’m finally telling the story that I’ve always wanted to tell, and that is quite literally the best feeling in the world.
• The First Death… On the sixth day of NaNo, my true love gave to me I witnessed the first death for Project Sunset… and it was a car. Carlos’s beloved van, Charlotte, is no longer running, and it was a very touching scene, indeed. Thankfully, he’s able to find a replacement pretty quickly, but between you and me… that may end up being more trouble than its worth… (mwahahahahahahaha!)

I could honestly go on and on and on about how much this project excites me, but there’s only so much I can talk about before we head into the dangerous Spoiler Zone, and you guys know how very scared I am of that particular zone. XD

I will, however, continue to silently squeal about how much fun this book is to write. I feel like this novel is the height of my chaos crammed into 30 chapters, and if that doesn’t give you at least some clue as to how much fun I’m having with this plot… well, I honestly don’t know what will. XD

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talk to me, peasants!

We’re right on the cusp of Week Two, my friends! Week One was a bit of a roller coaster of wild highs and sleep-deprived lows, and I’m fairly confident that Week Two is going to be even more crazy! (which excites me on a whole new level, tbh) I cannot wait to see where the next 7 days takes this story, and–hopefully–I’ll still be alive by the end of it to tell the tale. XD

how is YOUR NaNoWriMo treating you? have you discovered any new plot bunnies since starting, or has your outline (unlike mine) turned out to be solid? what’s your favorite thing you’ve written so far–scenes, lines, character descriptions, ect.! do you have a favorite place to write, a favorite writing snack, a specific pair of socks for good luck? let’s talk about ALL OF THE THINGS down in the comments below! And until next time…

* flings cookies in the air and disappears *

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