Perpetually 5k Words Behind and Other Updates

Two posts ago, I mentioned I’ve decided to embark on NaNoWriMo. Which, for those who don’t want to poke around that link, is an attempt to write a 50,000+ word novel in the month of November.

Amazingly, I have written almost every day this month. I think I’ve only missed two days so far. But while some days the words just flow, like yesterday, some days are pulling teeth to get anything down. Heck, I’m writing this post partially to avoid writing my novel…

If I write nothing today, I’ll be 5226 words “behind”. That’s not going to happen. If nothing else, I’ll write one word. But my hope is that by exercising my writing “muscles” here, I’ll get jazzed to get a thousand or so words there. I don’t see managing 5226 words before 6pm, when I have another appointment. But that’s ok. In some ways, this is all about sitting down and writing.

Our visit to Portland was good. Bill’s father, Joe, and I had a great deal of beer. It was a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to telling you guys about that. I’ll tease you guys by saying, Cascade Brewing Barrel House is fantastic, and I really loved Amnesia Brewing. Specifically their Alt and their red ale.

I also ate stupid amounts of salmon and no sturgeon. There’ll be a post about that too.

I hope you all are having fabulous Novembers as well. My plan this week is to catch up, maybe even pull ahead. And I’ll keep you posted about that too.

2 thoughts on “Perpetually 5k Words Behind and Other Updates”

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  1. I can’t resist one more comment from one fiction drafter to another. This summer was the only time I had to devote a lot of energy to my second novel. I set a goal of drafting 1000 words a day (roughly, 4 double-spaced pages). I counted only “work days” (Mon – Fri), and I stopped as close to the 1000th word as I could. I was able to meet that goal, because 1) it was doable; and 2) because I didn’t care if the words were “good” — I was only after 1000 words. If anyone is attempting the huge challenge of NaNoWriMo, then maybe this strategy would be helpful to you. [even though the month is now more than half over]

    • As far as I’ve learned so far, in this first NaNoWriMo attempt, is that you are 100% correct about it not being about “good” words but about “any” words. Get them down. Just get them down. I can edit them later, if I can stand to. 😀

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