NaNoWriMo 2019 is over! Can you believe it? I know I can’t. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was preparing to start writing my novella. And now it’s over.
So, what happened during this year’s NaNo? In my ‘NaNoWriMo 2019 Goal’ post, I mentioned that I was going to do NaNo differently this year because I was still recovering from my illness. I had aimed to write 10,000 words of a novella, which was still a big challenge, but one I felt I could achieve.
Did I win? Yes, yes, I won my NaNoWriMo 2019 goal. My final word count was 10,279. So not only did I win, I surpassed my 10,000-word goal. That means I get a winner certificate, a new pen, a new book and a new handbag, so yay me.
The month started well. I wrote more than the required 334 words per day. And the story seemed to flow. But, I soon found myself skipping writing days. I hadn’t fully planned my novella, and there were times where I would hit a part that wasn’t properly thought out, and so I had to spend some time trying to figure out my next move. There were also times where I was so tired writing was the last thing I wanted to do. So this year I allowed myself to take things at a slower pace, taking a day off or two if I needed it.
I knew others would also struggle with the 50,000-word goal, or who would need support during the month of NaNo, so I set up a Facebook support group called NaNoWriMo for Self-Doubters. In the group, I shared my word count update and asked the other members about their NaNo days. I also shared any NaNo-related YouTube videos and quotes to help keep us all motivated. It was nice to connect with other writers, and I think it helped to keep me motivated.
I also watched YouTubers’ NaNo-related videos during this NaNoWriMo. I watched videos created by bytheBrooke, Abbie Emmons, Kate Cavanaugh, Natalia Leigh, Becca C. Smith and so many others. Many of these writers did daily or weekly NaNo vlogs, and I found them all inspiring and motivating.
What I loved about these NaNo vlogs is how honest they were. They didn’t simply pretend that the writing was always going to plan. If they had a bad writing day, they shared that. If they were struggling psychically or mentally, they shared that. I felt less alone in my struggle while watching these videos, and I was always excited when I saw that one of the YouTubers had a new video uploaded.
My 10,279 words may not be as impressive as 50,000 words, but considering how unwell I was during the spring and summer of this year, I am proud of how much I have done. There was a time I feared I wouldn’t be able to write again. My brain felt so foreign to me that I wasn’t sure I still had the ability to create stories. But I had nothing to fear. While I may not be able to write as fast or as much as I have done before, I am still able to write. I just need to get used to working at a slower pace, and to start being kinder to myself.
So, what’s my plan for December? I had originally planned to continue working on my novella until I had finished the first draft. But I have decided to take a little break from it—I still have a lot of planning and thinking to do. I have two story submission calls that I want to work on, and I have an idea for a Christmas movie inspired story (I love Christmas movies. It’s the only time I don’t mind romance being included, lol). I wanted to do a typical Hallmark Christmas Movie, but I couldn’t resist including something supernatural. After this, I plan to return to the novella if I can find some time during the festive season.
Did you take part in NaNoWriMo 2019? If you did, I would love to hear your experiences, so feel free to comment in the box below.
Keep writing, folks!
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