To Nano or Not to Nano
To Nano or Not to Nano
That is the question we ask ourselves all through October. And it’s a tough question. Do we have time? Do we have a story calling our name? Will winning give us the boost in confidence we need to move forward? Or will losing be the straw that breaks our fragile ego and sends us into a hopeless spiral?
To help you answer this question, or at the very least give you even more to ponder, I’m going to be sharing today about my experiences with NANOWRIMO so far. So sit back, relax and let me tell you about a long time ago in a land far, far away…
My First Nano
The year was 2015, I was working full-time from home, had just finished grad school, and felt unsatisfied. There was something missing. A piece of joy that I had once had, but hadn’t felt in a long time.
I eventually came to the conclusion that I wanted to start writing again. For fun. To see if I could do this novel thing. And then, if I could, well I would take it from there.
This is what I told myself.
(Was I secretly hoping in my heart of hearts to set up a career as an author? Of course I was. One doesn’t plan a trilogy of trilogies and combine worlds to create a cohesive whole just for self-entertainment. There was long-term planning here, even if I wouldn’t admit it to myself.)
I heard of a thing called National Novel Writing Month. It sounded fun. A bunch of writers getting together to write as much as they could in 30 days? Heck yes! I have just enough competitive spirit for this type of thing.
So I began planning. From probably August until October I studied how to write a novel and how to plan a story. I figured if I went in with a good plan, I could do it. (That part was definitely true for me.)
After creating many character profiles, drawing a map of the world, completing worldbuilding exercises about the kingdoms and their cultures and the magic systems, and pages upon pages of planning, I thought I might be ready.
November came and I was off.
I remember very little specifically of that time other than trying to fit in writing wherever I could–early mornings before work, late nights at the computer, scribbling in journals at coffee shops.
There were days when I would get ahead because the words were flowing well. There were days I missed, or stared at a blank screen and managed five words and then deleted them.
I also remember that my very supportive sister sent me a box of carefully selected gifts to help motivate and reward me for my progress. It was beautiful and wonderful and I loved every second. These rewards fueled me.
Some days I despaired that I would never make it. Others I triumphed over my progress, seeing victory as inevitable. Up and down and all around and when 30 days were over, I had done it. I wrote around 58,000 words over the course of 30 days.
Phew.
And then I didn’t write for two months. I only had half a novel. But I had written 50k words, I could do it again, right? Well, I could and did. I believe I finished the first draft of the novel around March or April of 2016. Just in time to go through the book a couple of times for revisions before I needed to start planning book 2 so I could write it during the next NANOWRIMO.
Other Nano Wins
In total, I have won NANOWRIMO four times. I wrote the second book in the series that I started my first nano, and then I won again when I wrote the first half of book three. I also wrote the first fifty thousand words of another book set in the same world.
What happened with these experiences? I can tell you that I experienced similar burnout for each, creating a starting and stopping habit with my creativity that I struggle with to this day.
Also, only two of the four manuscripts that I started during a NANO season were ever finished. Both of them required full rewrites at some point.
Personally, given enough time at the computer, I can usually get a couple of thousand words in. Maybe not easily. They’re frequently not good words or the right words, but they’re present.
But the faster I try to write, the higher the chance I will need to rewrite. But if I don’t write fast will I write at all? A conundrum.
The other two Nano Manuscripts remain unfinished. One will probably be revised and become a novella. The last will be replotted and rewritten entirely.
Nano Losses
I had proved to myself that I could win Nanowrimo. But do I win every time? No. No I do not. There have been years when I try something new.
One year I focused on short stories because that was my goal for the year. I believe I tried a revision goal at one point. In 2020, I think I skipped it completely. And then last year, I tried a new approach.
I didn’t try to write 1667 words a day. Nor did I require myself to write all 30 days. My goal was to write at least 500 words on as many days as I could. I ended up writing on twenty-six days out of thirty. In total, I wrote around 22,000 words.
But I still wrote nothing in December.
Moving Forward with Nano
All things considered, I have won Nanowrimo but it wasn’t a magic trick that propelled me into author fame. Nor did it mean I finished my book easily or in a timely manner. I’m finishing a (hopefully) final round of edits before I send that same story I was working on in 2015 to beta readers and a proofreader before I publish it next year.
Did I have to wait this long to publish? Probably not. But I wanted to put my absolute best effort forward. And one thing that happened over the course of those Nano attempts is that I became a better writer. I became a better storyteller. And then I would go back and apply what I had learned to the first story.
So I do not consider any of my time writing in Nano as a waste–whether I won or lost and whether the manuscript will be used or abandoned. Each experience provided valuable lessons.
But I know that Nanowrimo, while a fun and valuable experience, can easily lead to burnout. Does the progress I make in one month make up for the time when I don’t work at all? Maybe. I do get a lot done.
However, I would prefer to build a sustainable writing habit that I can carry with me past November. I would love to make consistent progress on my stories during the rest of the year. If I can take a fraction of my Nano energy and focus and recreate it in those other months, I know that I will be able to do anything.
So that’s what I’m working on this year. What magic formula of focus and progress will allow me to take advantage of the most exciting time of the year for writers, without leaving me feeling burned out and unproductive for months afterward?
If you’re joining me this year in Nano, I guess we can figure that out together.
As the adventurers say, Onward!