This is Why I Need NaNoWriMo

I think about writing often, I do. I come up with exciting ideas for my novel, or compose posts in my head. Just today during training I made a whole page of tightly spaced notes about new plot ideas.

But did I write anything tonight, other than this post? No. Because it's now 9:45, and after 2.5 hours of screaming, Edythe is finally in bed. I don't blame her; she has a cold, got her second tooth today, and we were trying to convince her to fall asleep in our hotel room, where she could see that we were still awake. Even once she did fall asleep, there was still the issue of us only having one laptop and Christopher having a paper to write (which he just finished). Now I'm tired. And I have more training tomorrow. Why is it that insomnia can be so brutal at night, but during any sort of training or meeting I have an intense desire to nod off?

Anyway, my point is that I do think about writing, all the time, but without the "specialness" of a month set aside in which to concentrate on it, life creeps in. Often rightfully so. Christopher has a really full schedule--more on that later--and I should do more of the housework than I have been. Plus, I want to spend as much waking time with Edythe as I can. Our hours are limited enough already.

But I do miss writing. I like many of the qualities of my day job, but it does little to fulfill my artistic/creative side. Which is maybe a good thing. In many of my arts management jobs, I was near but not in the center of the artistic action. I'm being forced to do my own creative work now, which is both more challenging and fulfilling.

But How Did You Find the Time?

This is the other question I get a lot.

To be honest, finding time to write was much easier than I had anticipated. No Plot, No Problem and the NaNo forums are full of helpful/panicky ideas, like cooking and freezing a month's worth of dinners and chopping up a whole bunch of veggies ahead of time, because you won't have time to cut your own vegetables in November!!!!!! And you'd better hire a maid because you won't be able to put your own laundry in the washing machine!!!!!

Pish posh.

Here's what I did:
Wrote during lunch breaks at work.
Wrote after Edythe went to bed (generally between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.) or during her naps on weekends.
Did some extra cleaning/organizing at the end of October so I could slack a bit in November.
Cut way back on internet time.*
Rarely watched TV. **
Tried not to start too many craft projects.
When I got stuck on one part of the story, jumped to another part. Or if I was bored, ended the scene and started a new one. If I was sick of a character, I stopped including her. It's my book, I can do what I want.
Rarely worked out.***

On the grand scale of busy times in my life, this past month doesn't rate anywhere near as high as, say, graduate school, or tech for virtually any show I've done. Or wedding planning. Or having a newborn.

If you're considering participating next year, I say go for it! You can find the time! If you want to.

It's the wanting to that's key.

I'm still writing 1k/day for fun, and can't wait for Script Frenzy in June!

*I think this is critical. I can't help but roll my eyes at the people stuck at 25,000 words today, but with a hundred posts by their NaNoWriMo profiles. That's increasing the wrong wordcount!
**This wasn't a change I made, but I think it did have an effect on my writing time, so I'm listing it.
***Okay, this one was bad. But it also had to do with the time/weather change (it's now dark and cold out so I can't take E for walks when I get home).

Two for One?

Hmnm. I think maybe I've started a second book. I don't know. It's gone off in a very different direction from my original NaNo project. This could be a good thing. Usually I enjoy the editing process much more than the first draft writing process, so I'll go with this extended drafting!

Work has been draining this week. I know all workplaces have their more difficult personalities, but the difficult personalities I work with are certifiable. Really.

I have this fantasy, where I stay home with Edythe and write during her naps. I'd get to see her for more than that hectic last hour before bedtime. We could go to the park, and hang out with my other mom friends, and make crafts together and sell them on etsy. Me and my girl, in our matching dresses that I'd sew. And I'd teach her to cook, and we'd make dinner for Christopher every night. I can see it now. Fire in the fireplace, fresh baked cookies on the table, Edythe and I and the cats, all lined up in a row and with cute little bows on our heads.

Whew! Ah, my tummy hurts from all the laughing. Yeah, that would be fun, living in a cardboard box and eating leaves for dinner.

Christopher and I have an agreement. I can stay home and write once my writing is generating actual income. I know, isn't he just annoyingly practical and unfair?

So, Can I Read the Book?

I've had a couple of people ask me if they can read the book.

The short answer is, no.

The long answer is, it's not anywhere near being completed. When I said I was "finished," I meant I'd hit 50K and had won NaNoWriMo. Even if I weren't still adding to the first draft daily (which I am), when writing at such a furious pace, the first draft is more like a sketch than a fully executed portrait. Add to the mix that this is my first novel, and you can imagine what a sketchy state it's in now, indeed. I'm actually a little afraid to go back and look at the first draft at this point. So I'll just keep making it longer!

A couple of my NaNo buddies are still furiously writing, so I want to give a shout-out and oodles of encouragement to CKHB, Harriet_Vane, crankymama, and Li! Go, mamas, go!

We Artsy Types Know How to Throw a Party

So, you may be wondering, other than adding that fabulous new winner icon to her website, how did RB celebrate finishing her novel?

Well first I told Christopher. He was happy for me, but not jump-up-and-down happy, as he had been to a friend's funeral that day. We opened a bottle of wine, special wine that we'd bought in September and saved for just this occasion. But it had gone bad. We opened a second bottle of the same, tried it, and it had gone bad too. So we toasted with a $6 bottle of Trader Joe's Coastal. And then we had one of those long, stay up way too late and get depressed conversations about What Are We Doing With Our Lives.

The next day there was a trip to the winery, where we exchanged the bad wine for good. The staff was very nice, the drive was beautiful, and Edythe did have fun playing in the leaves outside. But it was also freezing cold, we were in a hurry, and Edythe was a superfuss for the entire car trip.

And now, I'm missing writing every day. I have some more ideas for this novel, how I might take pieces from this project and use them with something else I've had in mind. We'll see. I'm going to write a bit tonight. Maybe I'll keep posting a daily word count, just to keep myself honest. It's interesting, though, that I already find that I read books differently. I pay more attention to structure and how the author reveals things about the characters.

I'll post more thoughts about the NaNoWriMo experience later, but now I need to write.

Edited to Add: 1143

November 23 and Guess What?

(Cue trumpet fanfare.) I finished the novel tonight!

Total Word Count: 50, 042

And now I'm going to back away from the computer and open up that bottle of good wine that Christopher and I have been saving for the occasion.

November 22. Happy Thanksgiving!

Tonight I give thanks for having an imagination, for having the ability to create, and for having a loving family who supports me despite my seemingly neverending supply of crazy ideas.

I am blessed to be able to celebrate today with so much of my family, from Little Edie who smeared apple pie all over her head, to my in-laws who braved the traffic to drive down from New Hampshire, and to my brother and sister-in-law and my Aunt who joined us from afar by phone. I do indeed have a lot to be thankful for.

Not to mention this crazy warm weather! Can you believe we were wearing sandals on Thanksgiving?


Today's Word Count: 699/2,000
Total Word Count: 46,318/50,000 (93%)

November 21

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and today it was 70 degrees outside. This is weird but good, because I think the warm weather loosened up my brain as well as my fingers. The story is just flowing now, and I seem to be at the climax, an exciting place to be.

Which, by definition, is what a climax should be, right?

I had planned to take tomorrow off to wallow in pie, but I have a feeling I may be back at the computer before Friday.

Today's Word Count: 2,435/2,000
Total Word Count: 45,619/50,000 (91%)

November 20

So this is it, I'm getting into the home stretch. I'm kind of glad, what with the convenient distractions of relatives visiting and Thanksgiving food to prepare and the general holiday hoopla.

I don't feel like the novel is anywhere near "finished," not even for a first draft, but I'm starting to wrap things up. I don't know whether I'll go beyond 50K, or whether I'll want to start editing it immediately. I had thought not, but this morning a better opening occurred to me.

I am quite glad I'm ahead on my word count. At this point, with only 6,816 words to go, and my typical pace of a thousand words in thirty minutes, I could finish in an afternoon if I wanted to. It's nice to be so close to the end that I can take my time getting there, like savoring the last gooey bite of a Reese's Cup that has partially melted between my fingers. Mmmmn.

Also, I must confess that while I had sworn not to begin any holiday craft projects until the novel was finished, I did go a little nuts at Michaels this weekend with my brother and sister-in-law. And I am determined that Christopher, Edythe and I will be wearing matching hats in our holiday photo this year. Hats that I am making. For the photo we will be taking this weekend.

Relaxing? What is this relaxing you speak of? Relaxing is for dead people. Must... make things... at all times!

Today's Word Count: 1,077/2,000
Total Word Count: 43,184/50,000 (That's 86% to you!)

November 19

If you haven't checked out The Rouge Wave yet, you should, for it is unmatched in its awesomeness. Although I have no interest in writing a screenplay, from my experience reading scripts I can vouch that her advice is spot-on, and is applicable to many forms of literary art. I found this in a post from yesterday:

"So often, if you have a family and a day job, the demands of others encroach upon us. It can be guilt-inducing to close the door and enter the necessary isolation to write. Somebody needs to go to the grocery store, wash the car, pay the bills – and yet you are sitting, alone, doing something that may never pay one red cent. It’s insane. But we need to do it."

That's what I wanted to say today, but she said it so much better. Go read the rest of the column, and her whole darn tootin' blog while you're at it.

And support the striking writers too, please.

Today's Word Count: 2,006 (for the second day in a row... weird)/2,000
Total Word Count: 42,107/50,000 (84%, so close I can taste it)

November 18

I finally hit 40,000 today! But the combination of long stretches of typing and too much baby carrying is starting to take its toll on my arms. Edythe has reached the stranger anxiety phase where she wants to be held by me, and only me, as much as possible. It's very sweet that she's so snuggly, but my arms are tired.

We had an excellent dinner tonight with my BFF and her two daughters, who are nearly 4 and 3. Watching the almost-four-year-old engage in imaginative play was interesting, because most of us did it at one point, constructed these worlds and acted out scenes with our invented characters. But when do we lose that ability to play and not care who is watching? I blame middle school. Middle school stinks.

I'm losing a bit of novel-steam these days, and am feeling a bit preoccupied with getting ready for Thanksgiving and visiting relatives and my really packed week at work.

Today's Word Count:2,006/2,000
Total Word Count: 40,101/50,000 (80%)

November 17

I had planned to try to get to 40,000 words today. But instead, Little Edie and I spent some quality time with my brother and sister-in-law, and now I'm going to hang out with my husband. In short, I'm spending the day with real people instead of imaginary ones. An excellent decision.

Today's Word Count: 1,053/2,000
Total Word Count: 38,095/50,000 (76%)

November 16

Christopher just got home from work, and I finished my word count for the day. Time to go relax for a bit. It's been a hectic week.

I think the novel is picking up steam now, heading toward a climax and conclusion, which will be nice to experience. It's been quite interesting writing without a plot outline, because I just make stuff up as I go, and we don't often get to do that in life (not without suffering the consequences, at least). And if I get bored writing a scene, I change it, or I go work on some other part for a while. While I've written a lot of crap, I've also been pleasantly surprised by some of what's happened when I've let it.

Today's Word Count: 2,038/2,000
Total Word Count: 37,042/50,000 (74% of the way there!)

November 15

Yeay, we're back home where we have two computers! I finished adding all the new parts of the novel I'd come up with during my training, and a little more besides.

Today is November 15, halfway day. I'm proud to say that I'm more than halfway through.

And now I must go because The Office is about to come on!

Today's Word Count: 2,004/2,000
Total Word Count: 35,004/50,000 (70% of the way there!)

November 14

Training was long and boring, but I took advantage of the time to think through my plot and make a bunch of notes about how to tie things together, what to add, where the story might go next, etc. So all in all it was a productive day.

We dined at The Galaxy Diner tonight. Peanut butter & jelly milkshakes are where it's at! Little Edie was well behaved, which was fortunate because we made friends with a woman due to meet her own little bundle of joy on Friday. Heh heh. We didn't tell her to enjoy her sleep now. I was hoping she'd order the "Knock me up, Scotty" (I think it's fried pickles and ice cream), but she just got a milkshake and a giant plate of nachos.

I dedicate tonight's word count to Christopher, who let me use the laptop despite having a paper due and a report to write for work. And also to Little Edie, who has not woken up yet, thus allowing me to write.

Today's Word Count: 2, 199/2,000
Total Word Count: 33,000/50,000

In a way I can't wait to hit 50,000 words and be done with this novel, but in a way I think I'll miss it. I'm already planning my next big writing project, and how I'll improve on what I've done this time. So even if this isn't great literature I'm writing now, it's still been an important experience.

November 13

Out of town for training, limited computer access, not much time to write or to post.

Today's Word Count: 747/2,000
Total Word Count: 30,801/50,000

November 12

Too tired to write much, and must pack for my stupid work trip that starts tomorrow. I tried to write a bunch today, because I figure I won't have much time while I'm out of town.

Today's Word Count: 3,322/2,000
Total Word Count: 30, 054/50,000 (60% of the way there)

November 11

Today was a banner day! I broke 25,000 words, so I'm more than halfway there! We celebrated by opening a bag of mint m&ms, first of the season! Those things are addictive. Good thing we only bought one bag.

Also, my novel has suddenly become interesting. I've continued in this surreal adventure vein for a while, and have found it to be great fun. I think I even know how to tie it in with what I'd written before. It's very exciting. My fingers were flying today.

Also, I repotted all my geraniums to bring them inside to try to winter them over, and I planted some pansies and cabbages outside. I find it much nicer to write in cheerful surroundings. And my gardening efforts were an excellent excuse to go to the garden center with Christopher and Little Edie today and gawk at the koi and chrysanthemums and over-the-top Christmas trees.

I wish every day could be like this.

Today's Word Count: 3,679/2,000
Total Word Count: 26,732/50,000 (53% of the way there!)

November 10

I don't want to use this blog as a forum to air my family's dirty laundry. But I do want to be honest about the daily challenges I'm facing. So let's just say that sometimes being supportive is much easier to do in theory than in practice. For me, this applies to Christopher going back to school, and for him, I think this applies to my writing and other artistic projects. If we only had a maid, so we could do our shift parenting thing and still have time to pursue our degrees/artistic fulfillment, and to sleep occasionally, without having to fight about who should have cleaned up what and when.

Little Edie has reached that "caged polar bear" stage where she knocks down, pulls out, throws, eats, or shreds everything she can get her hands on. While I'm picking up the toilet paper she's unrolled, she's pulling all her pajamas out of the drawer and grabbing the cat (the one cat that isn't knocking pictures off the bookshelf or digging up the geraniums I'm trying to winter).

So I can see why one might be frustrated when one comes home from class late at night and the place is a disaster. On the other hand, it's impossible to keep the house clean these days, especially if one is spending several hours a day writing. That's all I'm saying.

We all went out for pizza at The Lost Dog Cafe tonight, because we needed a little family fun time before the holidays, when the true family fights will begin.

Today's Word Count: 1,812/2,000
Total Word Count: 23,053/50,000 (46% of the way)

November 9

I have a bone to pick with Google Documents today. Twice in the past 24 hours it has lopped off the last 53 words of what I have saved. Considering that the program auto-saves every 60 seconds while I'm typing, and considering that I always use the "save and close" function rather than just closing the document, I find this pretty annoying.

I know it has been exactly 53 words each time, since I'm tracking and updating my word counts so often. It's bizarre. I saved my work into a Word Document tonight as backup.

I am still finding this writing process frustrating. First I had a boring, meandering book. Then I tried to give it some plot by making bad stuff happen to my characters. Now I have a boring, depressing, meandering book.

Tonight I went off in a totally different direction, and now there' s a good thousand words of nonsense to add into the mix. At least it was fun to write.

I'm hoping against hope that suddenly the light bulb will go on, I'll see how it all fits together, and I'll have smooth writing from here. But I don't know. I'm not even halfway there yet. I will finish it, because I'm persistent like that, but whether the novel becomes anything is yet to be seen.

Today's Word Count: 2,187 in actually progress, but 2,293 if you count the 106 words I had to re-write because of Evil Google Documents.
Total Word Count: 21,241/50,000 (42% of the way there!)