Nicole J Simms/ December 6, 2019/ Blog/ 0 comments

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The End of NaNoWriMo 2019

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.

My NaNoWriMo Winner certificate 2019

[My NaNoWriMo Winner certificate 2019]

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.

My NaNoWriMo Reward Plan

[My NaNoWriMo Reward Plan]

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 NaNoWriMo word count chart

[My NaNoWriMo word count chart]

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!

Don’t forget, if you want email alerts of my latest posts, then please subscribe. And you can follow me on Twitter, Goodreads or like my Facebook page. I’ve also created a Nicole J Simms YouTube channel. On my channel, I will be sharing videos of my performances, trips, writing group adventures and my stories. You can also download my e-book The Book of Drabbles for FREE, so check it out.

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