Camp NaNoWriMo Overview
So Nano has been over for a few days now, and I thought this would be a good time to look back and reflect on the successes and failures of my first proper Camp. Because there were a lot of both.
THE GOOD
It kind of goes without saying that the best part of the whole experience was my cabin. Not only was I with a couple of really good friends, I made new friends too! It's hard to believe that I only started speaking to Steph when Dana introduced us a couple weeks before July started, but now we're doing a book club and an anthology together. I want to thank all the #RoyalWriters cabin for helping me this month!
And I wrote just over 20K, including some extra projects I started just so I was writing something. That's 20K I didn't have! WOOHOO GO ME *dances*
I've figured what times of day work for me and what don't, and also what routine I need to be in to get the words on the page. Before I go into NaNo in November, I definitely want to be writing a little bit each day to get myself used to it. I've never made a conscious effort to be that sort of writer, to treat it like a job, and carve out writing time in my schedule. I've always gone with whether I felt like it or had the time. My life is busy, and I'm not always going to have time, but I can ensure that writing is a priority (Even over Netflix.)
THE BAD
I didn't meet my target. I'm disappointed, but I'm not heartbroken. I wrote a lot in a very short space of time and that proved to me that I could do it, if I put my mind to it and the drive of the story was there too. I'm not sure I've figured out how to work through a lack of drive for the story, but I'm sure I'll get there.
My inner editor gets the best of me when I'm writing. I have no idea how to turn that off, when it's one of the professions I'm considering going into and I spend a lot of my time doing it. But I sit there and I know what I'm writing is trash. Utter garbage. However, first drafts often are and they just need to be written before any editing takes place!
THE UGLY
I fell really out of love with the story I was writing, to the point where I don't even know if it's worth telling anymore. Which makes me feel really sad, because I've invested a lot of time and energy into this idea, even if the words aren't all there yet. I love a lot of the characters. I do have faith in the plot and the twists I thought up. But something isn't right and it needs shaking up. Maybe this one is not 'goodbye', but 'see you later'.
Here's the stats *groans*:
- Total on site: 19,277
- Actual total: 23K on the dot
- Chapters written: 13
- NaNo stats say that I gave up on Day 13 (which is not strictly true - that's just when I stopped recording it on the website)
- Chapters written: 13
- New characters introduced: 2
Project Stats
Let me know how your Camp experience was! And check out my other weekly updates that I did throughout the month.
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