NaNoWriMo
Well, the month has flown by. It’s almost Thanksgiving! Work is slowing down; so, I can get back to a somewhat normal life. November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). During these 30 days, people attempt to write a 50,000 word novel from start to finish. That means a total daily word count of 1,667 words. Per day. Every day. For thirty days. A normal writing session for me is 500 words per day with two days off.
It Begins
I decided to participate this year as a way to increase my writing output. To make it, I need to more than triple my daily output and cancel all breaks. I attempted NaNoWriMo once before, and that contributed to a panic attack that sent me to the hospital. When I tried it before, I did it alone, and I prioritized word count over sleep. This year, I decided way back in February that I would attempt NaNoWriMo for 2020. Remember that heady time before we knew how bad things would get? That was before I started working from home and back when I had high hopes for the year.
Things Change
I decided to do everything different this year. I joined the NaNoWriMo forums. I made an outline and did some writing exercises. I spent the year up until October building the world that this novel would take place in. Then, in October, I did some of the Preptober exercises recommended on the site. I took the challenge seriously this year while learning to be okay not meeting the word count. To keep anxiety in check, I prioritized sleep over completing the daily goal. Writing in short sessions with small breaks in between caused the most improvement in my word count. Now, I write in 400 – 600 word jaunts and then take a five minute break.
The Result?
It’s November 18th, and I have over 30,000 words written. I’m shocked, but I’ve learned a lot. Doing a little bit of planning has helped me increase my daily word count. Now, I haven’t met the target everyday, but I have written everyday. Right now, my average is 1,707 words per day. That’s crazy. It’s so much more than I expected. I couldn’t be happier with the results. Barring any major disasters, I know I’ll finish the month with more than 50,000 words. But the novel won’t be finished. At the rate it’s going, I won’t write the ending until mid December, and I couldn’t be happier about that.
Reviews
Since I knew early on that I was doing NaNoWriMo, I scheduled no reviews for the month of November. But my friend, Dan Koboldt, has a book coming out in January, and he was kind enough to send me an advanced copy. Domesticating Dragons will be out from Baen on January 5th, 2021. I’m excited for Dan because I’m loving this book. It’s a nice change of pace not to have to read about war or the next Dark One. Instead, this is like if Michael Crichton had decided to make Jurassic Park a petting zoo. Dan told me that this was Build-a-Bear workshop, except with dragons, and I was hooked. This book is a lot of fun and filled with interesting genetic science. Once I finish, I’ll get a review up.
If it sounds interesting to you, please, consider ordering from my local independent bookstore Left Bank Books. Like all bookshops, they’re struggling right now, and any help we can give them would be appreciated.
A Promised Land
Barack Obama’s A Promised Land was delivered to my house today. Thanks to Left Bank Books for fulfilling this order. I have review books ahead of it, but this book just cut the line in my personal to be read pile. It’s squarely on top. This is a massive book for a memoir. It approaches epic fantasy levels of thickness. It’s over 700 pages, and I’m here for all of it.
A New Social Media and Website Policy
Below are the new rules for my social media interactions. Too much of what I see online lacks evidence. As President Trump tries to destroy Americans faith in their election system because he lost, his campaign loses lawsuit after lawsuit. Why? Because they present no evidence to support the batshit crazy things the president says. Too many people do not have the patience to do research and verify the things they’re saying. From now on, my social media interactions begin only when evidence accompanies a statement. No evidence, no debate, not worth my time. So far, it’s saved me some time. The more that I remind myself of this policy, the more time I have to write or read.
Let me know what you think of this new policy.
