In today’s Journal
* Quote of the Day
* A couple of comments
* Another DWS Kickstarter
* Back to NaNoWriMo
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Quote of the Day
“I’ve never written a novel in 30 days (as if!) but I did do NaNoWriMo to write 500-1000 words a day of my then-WIP and it really got me over a hump.” Kathleen McCleary
A couple of comments
The above quote is from an article that says if you want to “win” NaNoWriMo, it’s easy: Just change the definition of “win.”
That advice is right up there with taking pride in receiving a participation trophy. But that’s the world we’re stuck with at present. I guess I’ll “win” NaNo by simply going to the Hovel each morning for the month of November. Easy peasy.
Ridiculous. If you want to write 50,000 words in a month, at least give it an honest shot. If you don’t, don’t. Nobody cares. But don’t cheapen it by changing the definition.
As an aside, the “(as if!)” in the quote reveals that the author has bought into all the myths her English teacher presented in school. She actually believes herself incapable of writing a novel in a month. I feel bad for her.
Folks, the truth is, it doesn’t take a village. It takes one person with an attitude problem. One person who believes “I can do this” and refuses to be manipulated or harrassed or harrangued into believing “I can’t do this.” Please believe in yourself.
Another DWS Kickstarter
In case you don’t know, DWS and Kris Rusch are doing yet another “Holliday Spectacular” Kickstarter. I mention it because it has only a day or so left.
If you’re interested in receiving “an original holiday story every day from November 25th to January 1st,” or if you’re interested in getting some freebie “pop-up” classes, etc. for a small donation, check it out at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/403649867/wmg-holiday-spectacular-2021.
Back to NaNoWriMo
Somehow this is already the second day of November, so I guess I’m late talking about the annual NaNoWriMo. Anyway, if you’re participating, good luck. Just do the math, folks. It isn’t difficult.
Most people write around 1000 words per hour. (That sounds like a lot, but it’s only a blazing-fast 17 words per minute. That leaves a lot of time for staring off into space.) So if you want to write 50,000 words in a month, it’ll take you about 50 hours.
Divide that 50 hours by 30 days and you’ll find that means you’ll have to write 1.66 hours per day on average. That’s every day (but it’s also an average).
If you’re like me and you’d rather talk word count than hours, divide 50,000 by 30. You’ll see that your daily goal is 1,667 words per day. Might as well set a daily goal of 2000 words. Two hours.
And if you happen to hit that goal exactly every day, at the end of the month you will have written SIXTY thousand words, not 50,000.
Two hours per day. Or two thousand words per day. That’s all.
And that goal (two hours or 2000 words) will cover you even if you forgot and you aren’t starting NaNo ’til tomorrow. That leaves you 28 writing days, during which (if you hit or exceed your goal) you’ll write a novel of 56,000 words or more.
And if you follow what you’ve learned in this Journal, you’ll write that first draft cleanly and publish it when you’re finished. Then, if you aren’t very careful, you’ll do the same thing again in December. And January. And February. And you’ll be a writer.
Talk with you again later.
Of Interest
See “The Way to Win NaNoWriMo – Guaranteed” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/the-way-to-win-nanowrimo-guaranteed/. I include this not because it has any merit—it doesn’t—but because it’s the article I referenced above.
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………………… 610 words
Writing of WCGN 5: Tentative Title (novel)
Day 1…… XXXX words. Total words to date…… XXXXX
Total fiction words for November……… XXXX
Total fiction words for the year………… 623282
Total nonfiction words for November… 610
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 179100
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 802382
Calendar Year 2021 Novels to Date…………………… 13
Calendar Year 2021 Novellas to Date……………… 1
Calendar Year 2021 Short Stories to Date… 3
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 66
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 217
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31
Disclaimer: In this blog, I provide advice on writing fiction. I advocate a technique called Writing Into the Dark. To be crystal clear, WITD is not “the only way” to write, nor will I ever say it is. However, as I am the only writer who advocates WITD both publicly and regularly, I will continue to do so, among myriad other topics.
” Folks, the truth is, it doesn’t take a village. It takes one person with an attitude problem. One person who believes “I can do this” and refuses to be manipulated or harrassed or harrangued into believing “I can’t do this.” Please believe in yourself.”
Words that are not just good for writing, but for life.
Thanks, Loyd.
Once upon a time, I used NaNoWriMo to show myself that despite an enormous job and an insane commute on top of that (amounting to 16-18 hr days away from home and unavailable to write) I could write 50,000 words of fiction in 30 consecutive days. And I did, for five years.
Were these novels? Nope.
It took me many more years (some in denial of even being a writer) and some really good writing classes (thanks Harvey!) to finish my first novel, The Widow’s Circle. It happened to get its first look at the light of day in that first NaNoWrimo. Because of that I’ll always have fond memories of NaNo.
They are similar to fond memories of your first bike–with training wheels. You’d never go back to training wheels once you’d learned to ride without them.
I’m not prolific–yet. But I’m riding my writing bike without training wheels. And don’t intend to go back.
The Journal is a huge source of support and continued learning on that journey.
Thanks Harvey!!
Wow, thanks Karen. And yep, I remember The Widow’s Circle. A great story.