With a few exceptions, I’m a plantser. My mistake with this “thing” I’m creating in NaNoWriMo was not having a basic skeleton in place first. I don’t need a full outline, although one would have been helpful with the word count demand of this program.
A novel is a large document. May sound like an understatement (and it is), but if you’ve ever attempted to write one, you know that you will begin to doubt your own memory after a few chapters. I’m moving at such a fast pace to keep up, I’ve forgotten some of the basics I set up at the beginning. Also, I don’t have time to find those missing pieces. The emphasis must be on moving forward.
Do I know where I’m going? Not so much. Scenes are happening in my brain, so I’m writing them. If they’re part of the bigger story it will be my surprise.
The bright side: I’ve kept up with the demands and I’ve collected all the badges I can have at this point. I’m learning that waiting for inspiration isn’t really necessary; if I start typing, some muse will eventually show up (even if she’s illiterate and possibly drunk). The self-discipline aspect of this exercise is good for my brain.
But I still have some doubts. Most importantly, I doubt that what I’ll produce in a month will qualify as a first draft. Granted, every first draft is horrible, but there is usually a storyline, a journey from A to Z with some interesting and necessary twists along the way. I’m 18,000 words in and I may be moving in circles.
Whatever happens, I can say I’ve tried NaNoWriMo novel-writing month. If I don’t find a novel at the end, perhaps there will be some characters or scenes for another short story.
I wish happy progress to fellow NaNoWriMo writers out there. Those of you who joined early and did the recommended preps may be having better results. I certainly hope so!
