My NaNoWriMo (NNWM) is in full swing now. I’m approaching the end of the first week, and I’m beginning to get somewhere. Here are a few of my notes from days 3, 4, and 5 (yesterday), sharing my process and progress.
Day 3 of NNWM
After the 3rd day, I had almost 2800 words down altogether, and good ones too. I was behind schedule (5000), but I’d written a lot on the 3rd day, and I felt I had it in me to catch up. If I could replicate a couple more 2k days, then I’d be on schedule. My story lacked a coherent structure, but I figured that it didn’t need it.
Every story becomes its own thing at some point anyway, and my story is now becoming itself. The writing challenge is playing a huge role. I haven’t got the time to weave complex relationships. Still, I can write freely about my characters at various stages of their lives and see if some exciting dynamics play out between the switching timelines.
One day, for example, I write about my protagonist traveling alone. Another time I sit down to write, my protagonist is with his partner. The scenes play off against one another, the contrasting details forcing an obscure narrative of sorts. I’ve written this way before. I think I can make it work.
Day 4 of NNWM
The first hurdle I cleared was 5000, which was the target for the previous day. After that, I felt as though I was catching up, and it gave me a second wave of motivation. I ended the fourth day at around 5700 words, which isn’t too short of the target of 6668.
But I know what I need to do now, and the writing challenge is drastically changing my approach to writing. My story is writing itself as I welcome every first thought that comes to mind. So I feel motivated to catch up.
And Day 5!
I’ve been writing whenever I find the opportunity. The on-track target for the fifth day is 8,335, and I’m at 7,000. There are 25 days left in the month, but I think I’m over the most challenging part. I started slow and had to catch up. I’ve almost done that, and, more importantly, I’ve established a direction.
I stumbled upon a structure that does two things – it suits my character, and it fits the writing challenge. My story doesn’t depend on chronological order; my character’s experiences are relayed in random order, one thought from another, one memory after another, in line with how the ideas are coming to me.
I feel as though I may catch up soon, at which stage a new challenge will emerge. To maintain.