So this year, I tried out for CampNaNo as I posted about a month back. It was an attempt by a long shot but an attempt nonetheless. And as usual when I attempt at writing a novel of approximately 50,000 words in a month I failed miserable as I have each and every time I’ve tried over the course of the last few years…three I believe. Though in all the three years I’ve attempted I’ve never done one of the Camp editions.
This year I got as far as 7,850…though I’m quite proud of myself because usually when I attempt these things my schedules pretty clear. This year however I was doing a summer semester in school and it was the end of the semester month that was attempted…the busiest time of the semester as it’s the end with finals and projects. It was extremely difficult but I tried my best with what spare time I had and thus my effort got me to 7,850 words approx.
This attempt was a test for this coming November NaNo 2013 when I will be in school and ending a semester. I wanted to see if I could actually do it. And while I only made a small attempt, it was something and that’s better than nothing. But I realized something.
During my writing sessions for NaNo I usually get bored with my story right quick. And it happened this year. I made it to only 2500 words when I burned out. So unlike most times I decided to try it at a different angle. Work another plot line that had been in my head for some time and see where it goes. Well voila! another 4,350 and that’s where it ended when I became too busy to write.
My point being is that I think I’ve found my solution. I need a really good planned outline to get my through. I mean I’ve planned sure, but I mean I need every possible Idea for the story I’m going to write for November, down and into the computer. Right down to the point that all I need to do is write the words that connect the ideas. An outline so complete that it’s practically fool proof.
Last November I typed out over 30,000 words. It was a great achievement as before that I’ve never completed anything that high. I thought with last year I was getting better, the year before that was about 10,000 words. Last years story was lost in a hard drive that was dropped and it shattered into a million non-reparable pieces. I’ve looked at the notes before, I’ve even gone as far as to start rewriting the story but I get stuck, I head in a direction that I don’t like and I immediately reject the idea.
My plan, is to revisit any and all ideas that I’ve had for any story that I’ve pretty much tossed in my recycle bin. It’s a good thing I remember most things about my plots, because I’m sure I’ve lost most notes I’ve written about them.
I want to revisit and plan out each novel. In time of course, not right away. The first one is the novel I attempted last year. I plan to attempt it this year but I want to plan every step. I want to be able to close my eyes and be able to type. No dead ends. Leave nothing with a loose end, always have an extra exit door in my back pocket.
Another NaNo participant outlines the same way and each year she gets at minimum one and a half novels out each November. I think it’s bloody amazing to write that much and its not because they have an abundance of time. It’s all in the planning and I’m sure fellow writers will agree, it’s not the amount of time you have…although I’m sure that does help to have an abundance of time.
On other writing things; I did want to give writing another novel in thirty days another shot now that I’m off school. A few people on Facebook in the NaNo writing group on their were gathering forces so to speak and gear up for writing in August. I’m not so sure now as I will only have August to plan as another school semester is coming up in September. I want to be ready to dive into November guns blazing.
0 comments:
Post a Comment