Well, three days and 8000 words in, and I’ve already learned a few things.
Day one started on a low note (“But… I’m sleepy… I don’t want to work!”) and ended on a high note (“Woo! This is gonna be awesome! I just wrote a great scene!”). The high note carried into day two, but didn’t carry me through, and yesterday ended on a very low note (“I’m tired… I went to the eye doctor today… I’ve done a week’s worth of writing in two days! Is it December yet?”).
Today I needed a shake-up, and that’s how I realized what I’ve learned so far:
- Seeing people is good. I hadn’t really left my apartment in four days, except for the brief unpleasant trip to the eye doctor, so I was going a little Shining stir-crazy. Today I went to Barnes and Noble to write at Starbucks, and the simple change of scenery–plus a healthy dose of caffeine–helped with the crazies. I knocked out a thousand words there and a thousand words at home after lunch no problem.
- I edit a lot. I never realized before how much I edit as I go. Very rarely do I see a poorly constructed or just plain bad sentence in my rough drafts, because I rewrite as I go. This is what makes me a slow writer compared to some, I think.
- I can silence the Inner Editor by defying her. On day one, I made a tiny grammatical error. I started to go back and change it, then realized what I was doing. I stared at the error. It stared at me. I wrote a new sentence… and moved on with the scene. Oh horror of horrors, I left it there! And the Inner Editor shut her mouth when she realized that I’m the boss.
- I am lazy. Writing 3000 words every day has been strenuous, but 2000 a day? No problem. I’ve written in the last three days what might normally take me two weeks. That’s just absurd. After this month is over, I’m leaving the 1000 word per day goal in the kiddie leagues where it belongs.
How’s your NaNoWriMo trek going? Learned anything about your own process yet?
Kristin McFarland 
School has stolen my writing time and locked it in a dungeon. Luckily, I know how to kill school. Gonna give it a dose of vitamin lead, right between the eyes.
Finished the short prologue last night, shy of 1000 words. Once that big assignment that’s eating my soul is dead, I should be able to shift gears a bit, as I don’t have to do anything for school for a few weeks. Luckily, I have the project saved in Dropbox, so I can update it from any computer I’m using when I find the free time.
Hell, I could work on it with my phone.
Good luck with the rest of the month. I may have to write 10k this saturday 😛
School, pshaw!
No, just kidding, school is important. Still, I feel for you. 10K on Saturday? Ouch. Maybe I’m just too much of a plodder, but I couldn’t do it. Though I have to admit I’ve been tempted by some of the 10K all-nighters people are suggesting in the NaNo forums. It sounds kind of fun, and it’s been awhile since I’ve done an all-nighter.
Okay, that’s a lie. I’ve never done an all-nighter. I always prepared for finals in advance.
I’ve learned that:
1. Writing can be a spiritual exercise.
2. There’s nothing wrong with invoking Gods for assistance. At least, I don’t think anything in the rules permits it.
3. Coffee is a writer’s medicine.
4. It’s good to know that friends are somewhere out there in the interwebs, trucking along just like me.
Keep it up, Kristin. I’m glad you cleared the 8k mark!
Those are great lessons! And while I have been known to light a candle for Brigid while writing, I’m more of a tea-drinker. 🙂
I’ve been plugging along, but it’s been a bit slow going for me because of my work schedule. I’m hoping to get a lot done today — I’ve also been a bit sick, so I’m trying to relax and get better. I’m at a write in right now, but I have yet to see even a fingernail of another Wrimo…sad day.
I feel you. I’m still trying to shake my illness, since it’s been sapping a lot of my writing energy.
Bummer about the write-in. My local chapter seems really active, but I won’t get to a write-in until Sunday. I’m pretty excited about it!