NaNoWriMo 2009 – The Conclusion
So NaNoWriMo 2009 has come and gone, with much heartache, sleepless nights, sore hands, etc, etc...
I have a confession to make - I didn't finish. This year was not mine for the sweet smell of success. I peaked at 25,000 words (a quarter of my original target). To say I'm disappointed in myself would be an understatement - but equally, I'm not ashamed. Indeed, in many ways I'm quite happy, and proud of myself, during the final weekend, I finally learned to accept I can't write all the time. I want to, don't get me wrong, but sometimes there is no way round the fact that without will, inspiration is relegated to frustration.
I really really don't like failing, but I could have pushed in that final weekend, and pushed, but I would never have hit even the modest target of 50,000, and even if I had. Instead I took a break, having accepted defeat, let go of the pressure - I felt wonderful. So immediately following my return home, I started writing again. Nice and smoothly, and without much effort. In fact I've had some late nights, because the writing has being going so well, and I wasn't aware of the time.
I'm not finishing off my NaNoWriMo project for now, I've put it to one side, as my imagination is caught with a sequel to my previous NaNoWriMo attempt (the one I won last year).
Just shows you, sometimes pressure helps, and other times it hinders - I think for me it's the accumalative pressures I found myself under with family life, work, money, and writing, it made for some unsurmountable obstacles. Until I let go, and found away to enjoy myself away from the pressure.
NaNoWriMo 2009 – An Update 10/11/2009
Well we're now into week 2 of NaNoWriMo, and I managed to resolve my problems that came about at the end of last week. I say temporarily, because despite introducing a brand spanking new character, to whom I switched to, so I could imply the extent of the problem with my protaginist, without gettimg bogged down in detail, (and the logic of how long healing should take), I still wrote in the troubles just later in the process.
Two thousand words dropped for nowt, and probably another thousand to erase the second mistake.
I do have a plan though, and it is a cunning plan, go back again and undo the difficulties, limit the protaginists psychological difficulties (which are what would take too long in the time wise to deal with), but keep the secondary character. Kind of a sidekick to help out my protaginist through the couple of days recovery he needs (I've also undone shooting him in the legs, and instead had the bullet nick his brachial artery).
This should mean my character is less on his own, and has more interaction, and I can up the humour a bit. I'd much rather my characters were funny people than the narrative, or situations. Gallows humour is good, especially in procedural crime writing.
So, recovery is in sight - but I do have some monster writing sessions between now and this Saturday. Which is fine, I don't mind the pressure, it's only when deadlines become tight that I really put my foot on the gas and blast those monster wordcounts out. I had hoped this year woukd be different - but events conspired against me.
Meeting up with other NaNoWriMo'ers helps - it's where I found mysels thinking out the solution to my plot problems. It was a good meet up on Sunday, (7th November 2009), some new faces and old. It's enough to make you believe writers are generally smart, talented, driven people, who are genuinely nice, friendly, and social - until you remember I was there 
, brutish talentless oaf that I am.
The only way to hit 100,000 is going to be by being diligent, and erm... Deadlining with an all nighter on Friday - yes my bad, but we each have our ways of writing afterall.
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