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One Month On
Nov. 30th, 2010 05:19 pmSo, I didn't manage to win Nano. This is hardly a surprise. Oh well.
I don't mind this - I've still written a lot more than I would have if I hadn't signed up, and I just feel very happy and pleased at the progress I have made, there is no room to feel sad or disappointed in myself. I didn't get stressed about it, or force myself to write when I wasn't in the mood, and in return it didn't cause my untimely death. Seems fair.
As well as writing a lot more than I would have done, this month I've nailed down the remaining plotting for all the main characters and begun writing entire arcs and characters that hadn't been written before, only plotted for, which has been really nice, because regardless of plotting a character only kinda becomes real when you are writing them, at least to me. I've written description of sights and scenery and action and make outs and magic and high school that before were just vague ideas, or very specific images in my mind's eye that I hadn't yet actually pinned down with words. It's felt relieving, and liberating, and actually just really wonderful to finally express some of these ideas I've had in my head and have kept from everyone else for years now. I'm remembering what it feels like to actively love writing.
And best of all, I feel like I've got a much clearer idea of how many words and how much work goes into a chapter, so I can make a more realistic estimate of what the reality of this project would be completed, and when I might do that.
Current estimates:
- total wordcount of entire project to be around 225K
- wordcount of Part One to be around 75K
- first draft of Part One to be done by the end of January
- first draft of Part Two to be done by the end of March
- first draft of Part Three to be done by the end of May
(Part One gets longer than Two or Three because I realise I will write less over Christmas than during the boringness that is February.)
These are just estimates, and I'm aware that not managing Nano doesn't set a great precedent for getting it done by these dates, but I dunno, I just feel so positive and hopeful about this whole thing, and I didn't have any writers block at all over the last month, so I can't help but feel like if I just keep going there's a real possibility I'll get it done. And just think - that means I could let other people read it! \o/
The only other thing is, I really need a new name for this project. Even just another temporary name. So in the true spirit of Nano, I shall spend the last few hours of today and of this month desperately trying to come up with something better than it's current working title. Determined to get something by midnight!
ETA: new working title (for however long it lasts...) is now The Misfit Witch.
So yeah. I didn't win Nano. But I just don't feel like a failure :)
I don't mind this - I've still written a lot more than I would have if I hadn't signed up, and I just feel very happy and pleased at the progress I have made, there is no room to feel sad or disappointed in myself. I didn't get stressed about it, or force myself to write when I wasn't in the mood, and in return it didn't cause my untimely death. Seems fair.
As well as writing a lot more than I would have done, this month I've nailed down the remaining plotting for all the main characters and begun writing entire arcs and characters that hadn't been written before, only plotted for, which has been really nice, because regardless of plotting a character only kinda becomes real when you are writing them, at least to me. I've written description of sights and scenery and action and make outs and magic and high school that before were just vague ideas, or very specific images in my mind's eye that I hadn't yet actually pinned down with words. It's felt relieving, and liberating, and actually just really wonderful to finally express some of these ideas I've had in my head and have kept from everyone else for years now. I'm remembering what it feels like to actively love writing.
And best of all, I feel like I've got a much clearer idea of how many words and how much work goes into a chapter, so I can make a more realistic estimate of what the reality of this project would be completed, and when I might do that.
Current estimates:
- total wordcount of entire project to be around 225K
- wordcount of Part One to be around 75K
- first draft of Part One to be done by the end of January
- first draft of Part Two to be done by the end of March
- first draft of Part Three to be done by the end of May
(Part One gets longer than Two or Three because I realise I will write less over Christmas than during the boringness that is February.)
These are just estimates, and I'm aware that not managing Nano doesn't set a great precedent for getting it done by these dates, but I dunno, I just feel so positive and hopeful about this whole thing, and I didn't have any writers block at all over the last month, so I can't help but feel like if I just keep going there's a real possibility I'll get it done. And just think - that means I could let other people read it! \o/
The only other thing is, I really need a new name for this project. Even just another temporary name. So in the true spirit of Nano, I shall spend the last few hours of today and of this month desperately trying to come up with something better than it's current working title. Determined to get something by midnight!
ETA: new working title (for however long it lasts...) is now The Misfit Witch.
So yeah. I didn't win Nano. But I just don't feel like a failure :)
