NaNoWriMo: Week Four + WIPMarathon November 2015 Check-In

Here we are, folks––the final day of NaNoWriMo 2015.

And guess what? I WON! I WON, I WON, I WON!!! (Can you tell I’m excited?)

Look at that beautiful graph! I’m so proud. As you can see, I did fall behind on some days, but for the most part I stayed pretty on-track. Compared to the past couple years, where I had to write like 5k+ on the last day, that’s pretty good!

Anyway, this post is my final NaNo ’15 update, as well as my November WIPMarathon check-in. Here we go!

Last WC/CC: 33,684 words / 14 chapters

Current WC/CC: 50,499 words / 20 chapters

Progress Since Last Week: 16,815 words / 6 chapters

Total Words Written in November: 50,499

WIP Issues This Month:  

• Since this month was NaNoWriMo, it meant I was tackling an entire new novel from scratch. I hadn’t started something new in over a year, so it felt a little intimidating.
• I didn’t do much planning for this NaNo, which was unusual for me. As someone who usually prefers to have a full outline, it was kinda scary to wing it some of the time. But I found a good process of switching between writing and outlining as I went, which worked out pretty well.
• Since I only decided on an idea like two weeks before November, that didn’t leave much time to do background research––and since my novel is (kind of) historical fiction, that meant there were some gaps in my knowledge about the time period. But I just had to suck it up and not be a perfectionist. I can always go back and do the research later.
• Considering I didn’t do much writing in the months before NaNo, it was quite a leap to go from writing practically nothing every day to writing 1,667 words a day. It felt overwhelming at first, but I got more used to it as the month went on!

What I learned this month in writing: 

• I don’t absolutely need a full outline before I start something. In fact, I found it useful to not be tied to a detailed outline for this story, because it gave me more room to explore and experiment.
• Yes, I can write 1,667 words a day, even on really busy days. I really have no excuses not to write every day.

What distracted me this month while writing: 

Not very much, actually! I was pretty focused all month, which was awesome. There were some days I didn’t get much writing done, but it was usually because I was spending time with friends or family. There were also times I got distracted by the internet, but that’s nothing new.

Goal for next month: 

Dare I say it? I’m gonna say it.

*Deep breath* I really, really want to finish my first draft of I Chose The Monster this month. “But Brigid,” you exclaim, “you’ve been saying that every month for like two years!” I know, I know. But I feel like NaNo has given me the drive I need to finish this draft. I only have a few chapters of it left and I just need to get it done.

As for The Resurrectionists (my NaNo novel) I am going to set it aside for a little while, but I will get back to it eventually! But it might be a couple months before I return to it. I have ICTM to finish/edit, and then I also still need to finish The Waters and the Wild. Gahhh, so much to do in 2016!

Last 200 Words: 

For now, enjoy some recent words from The Resurrectionists! I’ve had a lot of fun working on it this month.

“I suppose I should frame the question differently. It isn’t painful to breathe, is it? You don’t feel like there’s some kind of … crushing pressure on your chest?”

“N––No,” Elmira stammered, putting a hand over her chest. “But … my heart. It feels strange.”

“Strange how? Does it hurt?”

“No, not exactly. But it’s like––like it isn’t beating right. It feels like it’s … clicking.”

Alice became aware of the strange clicking sensations in her own false heart.

“That’s entirely normal,” Cyrus said dismissively. “It sounds to me like you’re recovering splendidly.”

“Recovering?” Elmira repeated. “From what, exactly?”

“From death,” Cyrus said.

“Cyrus!” Alice exclaimed, aghast at how casually he’d said it. “You can’t just––”

“What? She may as well know the truth now.” He looked back at Elmira. “I’m sorry if that sounded a bit callous, my dear. But unfortunately, it’s true.”

“Death?” Elmira repeated, her voice small with horror. “But I … You can’t be saying that I … No. No, no. I can’t be dead. I’m not dead.”

“Not anymore,” said Cyrus.

“Stop it.” Alice moved in front of Elmira as if she meant to protect her from physical harm. “All you’re doing is scaring her.”

How did your month go, my fellow NaNos? Did you win? Even if you didn’t, did you still write a lot and learn valuable lessons?

Thanks to those of you who have followed my NaNo craziness this month!