And what did I learn on this journey? A lot more than I had expected.

An idle mind is necessary
If I don’t set time for myself to just daydream, I won’t find time to do it at all. It’s been terrible this year too. If I have down time, I find myself browsing Reddit or Pinterest. I’d like to be able to return to my roots. It’s been ages since I lay in bed with the lights off and some great music playing. Recently I’ve been preoccupied with Pokémon Shield. I think I’ll take some time in December to think about the kind of stories I’d like to write. The end of the year is a great time to plan for the future!

It’s easier to plot than to guess
For ages I was able to wing it. But I also had hundreds of hours to think and be free. Driving to and from school allowed me to figure out plot lines in my head. Now I’ll have to make an active effort to get stuff done but that’s ok. As we get older, it’s fun to grow and adapt. I’ll take it as a welcome challenge! After all, we never do stop learning and growing.

First draft characters are terrible
Oh boy this time around I feel like more than ever. I have a tendency to write strong female characters. I suppose it could me a part of me projecting what I wish I could be in my life. However, it’s nice to have weakness and insecurities too. A well rounded human experiences all aspects of what it means to be human. And that includes falling and getting up. This year my female lead was too strong for 60% of the journey. It was only until I felt the deadline approaching that I allowed her to feel pain. Big oopsies on my part!

It’s ok to feel lost
For years I thought of this story but when it came time for it to be put down on paper I forgot the joy I felt. The story in my head made me so happy and yet I feared each writing sessions. And that’s ok. I’m not the same person who sat down last year to tackle the same goal. I’m a year older and it’s ok to feel a disconnect with the material. When I think about my first story, I remember how terrible it was. But I also remember the joy it brought me. I still love that story today. When I feel lost about my writing process I simply think back to those characters and how they made me feel. Writing makes me happy. That’s what should matter.

There’s always next year
Oh boy, there’s a tiny, tired version of me screaming deep down in my soul. Let’s bring the pain!

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Add new characters
When all else fails, add a new character. It’s exciting to create a person from scratch and put them into the world that’s been created for one’s own pleasure. I’ve got magic in this world and I’m still trying to define the rules. My newest creation will help guild the way and I’m looking forward to adding in new world rules… and breaking them!

To do list
When I sit down to write I’ve got to make a to do list. This is the first year I’ve had to do this and I’m upset with myself. It’s interesting to think I can picture where I want the story to go. But then I sit down to write and it all goes out the window. So this year I’ve made a to do list to help me keep focus. It’s been a lot easier to handle my workload though. Maybe it’s a sign I’m getting old and I need to get it together!

Don’t worry about pacing
Honestly, I’ve given up on keeping a good pace. I’m doing my best to just hit the points above and move on to the next goal. The first stage of writing is to get all the words and ideas down on paper. I know I won’t return to this story again so it helps me kill that voice nagging me to edit. Nanowrimo is all about running a marathon without stopping to fix the mistakes. It takes a while to get there though, it’s taken me years to get to this point!

Addressing the issues
I spent more time listening to audiobooks than listening to music. This might be a huge factor in why I feel like I’m struggling. In the past I would have an entire year to think about a story. I could put music to it, view it like a movie in my head… Do everything to envision my tale without it down. This year I’ve jumped head first into reading without pause. Sure, most of my books this year have been children books. But I think the simple fact is, I didn’t have time to realize my story before I sat down to write it. I didn’t have too many issues last year because I didn’t commit myself to reading. However that story didn’t have a proper ending. I hit the 50k mark well before the end. And I haven’t gone back since.

Next step goals
I still have a week to finish this story but I don’t want a repeat of this year. I think next year I’ll read more books on writing and not pressure myself to do a book a week. I’ve fallen behind in that as well! I’ll listen to more music and give myself time to be bored. Being bored is a great way to get that imagination engine running! Nanowrimo week 3 is the part leading up to the final stretch of this challenge. This year has been difficult for me but I can’t say I haven’t learned anything! I’m looking forward to wrapping up another year and pushing through my mistakes.

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Changes will in the works
I pictured one story in my head and something different is on the page. It’s normal to experience. One idea might sound nice but once the story starts going something new emerges. That’s what I love about the writing process. I get to make a character and develop this person as I go. The more I write down, the more they change and evolve as their world changes. It’s why I always love the death of a character. How will this death shape the world around them? Let’s start to count the ways!

Pacing is off
I’m at the halfway point to the story and the main plot hasn’t even been explained… Talk about terrible pacing. That’s ok though because many Young Adult books hover at around 80,000 words. The goal for Nanowrimo is only 50,000. It’s understandable that the first draft of a novel is going to have terrible pacing. But it’s not a trouble everyone experiences! There are a ton of authors out there who have the method down like the back of their hand.

What are chapters?
Right now I have one, large document without chapters or breaks. It’s the first year I’m doing it and easier for me to work this way. I don’t have to worry about ending at an appropriate place for a chapter. I don’t need to concern myself with cliffhangers or a spicy sentence. Working like this has allowed me to experience less stress and it’s been beneficial to my process.

Feeling a bit hesitant
It’s getting to the point in the month where I’m too tired to write. Not that I’m physically tired… More mentally. The idea of writing gets me exhausted. I can’t say that it’s because I have nothing to write about. I do. But it’s more of my brain saying how do I create sentences again? I get this way during every year so I know what it’s all about. What I’ll do is turn to dictating my story to my Bear App. This way I can’t second guess anything. The words come flowing out and I’m unable to stop because dictating allows that rigid flow. It’s great for days where I need to catch up (aka this weekend)! Nanowrimo Week 2 is over but I’m not ready to stop!

Pushing through for the love of it
I do love writing. When I update that number on the Nanowrimo website, there’s pride and accomplishment. I do this every year because I love it and it’s not a slog through the mud. But it’s hard for me to remain in that “power through” state. Even now, as I write this, I’m finding it hard to think of words! That comes with any hobby though and that why a lot of artists who did Inktober suffered from burnout.

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Last year I finished up my 8th novel for Nanowrimo. It left me so emotional that I wrote a letter to my favorite authors.

Now it’s important to realize that it takes months, years, and at least a dozen drafts to perfect a novel. My stories are 1st draft babies that may never see the light of day. Which is fine. Writing makes me feel amazing, empowered, and in control of my life. I’m going to continue to write for as long as I can!

So let’s talk about what happened for Nanowrimo week 1.

Musical inspiration
I’d like to draw attention to the fact that I allow music to inspire me. I’ll listen to albums and have them dictate a story to me. I’m sure there are thousands of other writers that do the same thing. As I get older, this process of acquiring inspiration has held fast and true. If I ever need inspiration, I’ll put on music to give me direction in what I write. I can find amazing ideas in other books. But music has always been the strongest influence in my writing.

Dredging up the past
Now that you all know where I take inspiration from, I’ve taken tons of it from a particular music group. I listened to them obsessively in the past and continue to do so. This year I decided to finally write about two characters that have been on my mind for years. And it’s been a wonderful experience.

A waterfall of words
Writing has been the easiest it’s ever been since I’ve had years to toy with my characters. A loose summary of what I’m doing is, a coming of age story inspired by King Arthur and Excalibur. I’m taking the iconic points of the legend and translating it into something I’d like to write about. The story is less than 20 pages long so far so I’m not knee deep in storytelling. It’s also important to note that Nanowrimo doesn’t focus on quality. It’s quantity that matters. I don’t have character descriptions for many of the people! There may come a time when I go back someday and put that in. I can’t say for sure.

Sharing is caring
This year I’ve also stepped out of my box and spoken to Sander about my story. He’s given me great input on what I’ve shared with him and I’m so glad he’s encouraging me! I’ve always been afraid to share my work. It’s never perfect. It will never mean as much to someone else. I’m more than terrified to share my babies with the world. So having Sander be my rock has been such a weight off my shoulders!

Drawing from special interests
It’s no secret that I’ve been enjoying a look into the pseudoscientific realm. I think I love the symbolism more than anything else. I enjoy crystal collecting and using incense around my home (although my family has always used incense in the home). So I’ve been sprinkling these interests into the book as well. I’ve had a main character get her fortune read and I plan to do a lot more. What’s exciting is that doing research is fun! I get to learn more about what I find fascinating and it gives me fresh content I’ve never looked into. The great thing about magical worlds is that they are…. Magical!

You can see my profile page on the Nanowrimo website!

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