narrownights (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
narrownights) wrote2025-12-01 12:22 pm
narrownights) wrote2025-12-01 12:22 pm
Entry tags:
Post -Nano Check-In
I wrote just short of 25000 words for Nano. Almost half of my goal. I'm trying to feel pleased instead of devastated, because even though I missed my self-imposed deadline for the first two-thirds of my novel, I still have 24,300 words more than I did 30 days ago. Considering that for half of that time myself and my household were sick, I'll take it.
Now for the unfortunate acknowledgement of the inevitable: Despite my best efforts to prep, I've reached that point the project where it has lost all shininess and I've come face-to-face with the harsh reality that is my own lackluster writing skills. Is it as bad as I think it is? Probably not. Is this normal for writers working on their first draft? Definitely. Is it still a shitty mental place to be locked into? Yes. My characters are not as well developed as I imagined they would be. The plot is lumbering on, jarring and slow, as I move the characters from their starting points to the training arc that will eventually take them to the tournament. I already know a lot of it will have to be cut down.
It doesn't matter. I'll push through. I'm just gearing up to break into the second act. I'll let it drag on. Overwrite it rather than underwrite so I have more to hack and slash at when I finish it (hopefully by the end of the month/year).
Now for the unfortunate acknowledgement of the inevitable: Despite my best efforts to prep, I've reached that point the project where it has lost all shininess and I've come face-to-face with the harsh reality that is my own lackluster writing skills. Is it as bad as I think it is? Probably not. Is this normal for writers working on their first draft? Definitely. Is it still a shitty mental place to be locked into? Yes. My characters are not as well developed as I imagined they would be. The plot is lumbering on, jarring and slow, as I move the characters from their starting points to the training arc that will eventually take them to the tournament. I already know a lot of it will have to be cut down.
It doesn't matter. I'll push through. I'm just gearing up to break into the second act. I'll let it drag on. Overwrite it rather than underwrite so I have more to hack and slash at when I finish it (hopefully by the end of the month/year).
Thoughts
Go you!
>> Almost half of my goal. I'm trying to feel pleased instead of devastated, <<
Yeah, that can be hard.
>>because even though I missed my self-imposed deadline for the first two-thirds of my novel, I still have 24,300 words more than I did 30 days ago. <<
Exactly.
>>Considering that for half of that time myself and my household were sick, I'll take it.<<
If you subtract half the time, and you still made almost half your goal, then you wrote at target speed.
>>Despite my best efforts to prep, I've reached that point the project where it has lost all shininess and I've come face-to-face with the harsh reality that is my own lackluster writing skills. <<
1) Nano motto is, "Write badly with pride!" Because no matter how bad it is, it's better than all the people to talk about writing but never write anything.
2) No matter you skill level, it will improve with practice, and 25,000 words is a LOT of practice.
>>Is it still a shitty mental place to be locked into? Yes.<<
My sympathies.
Re: Thoughts
<3 <3 <3