Ah, NaNoWriMo.
I started the month with such good intentions. It’s been a couple of years since I last tried to complete the 50,000 words in 30 days challenge so I thought the time was due again.
Three and a half thousand words later, and I think I’m calling it a day on this one. I’ve got characters and setting, but no real idea of where the plot is going. I’ve poked and prodded at it over the past couple of days but no plot has fallen out. I’m pretty far behind on the wordcount target (should be on 10k by now)
Last time I did it I had enough of an idea to see me far enough in that momentum had spun up and carried me through to the finish line, but this time I’ve just got characters sitting around not doing much.
I’ve got some ideas for scenes and stuff, but it’s not inspiring me to write it.
Given all the other stuff going on this month I’m tempted to bin it and sit back and relax a bit (and play some Alien:Isolation, which is *brilliant* and I’m counting as research for the edit of my previous NaNo which is set aboard various spacecraft. Ahem)
On the plus side, I’ve definitely been doing more writing this month as a result of NaNo, which is brilliant. And some of the scenes and ideas are good, just looking for a plot to hook them around. I’ll keep poking away at it and see what falls out.
I’ve also been looking into story beats and Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet looks really interesting.
Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? How’s yours going so far?
espresso coco 
Better! I’ve stopped obsessing as to whether the plot makes sense or not, and concentrating on just writing scenes. This seems to work. No way I’ll make 50k, but I don’t really care about that.
I think I’ve come to the same conclusion – keep writing, stop stressing about the wordcount. Hopefully at some point a wild free-range Plot will turn up.
To me, you’ve won NaNo if you’re writing more than you were before. So, you’re already in the spirit of NaNo! Awesome!
Keep writing, I find the plot usually shows up eventually. Although if it’s not inspiring you, might be time for a break!
Do you use any of the NaNo community resources, like the forums, their Twitter word sprints, or your local NaNo chapter? I find that helps me a bunch. Last night I went from about 3,000 words to 7,500 just by going to a write-in sponsored by my local NaNo chapter. We did some sprints and just being surrounded by other writers helped get me back on track. I’m going to another one this weekend and I expect to be on or over par after that. 🙂 Don’t know if that would work for you but it helps me!
I agree – I’m writing more, which has to be good (even if the words aren’t, at least in this draft!). I’m going to press ahead with the scenes and characters I have and see where it ends up.
I’ve not used any of the NaNo resources, but will have a look. For me (and I know I’m not alone in this!) it’s about finding time – the kids are now older and stay up later, and finding a quiet hour to write is getting more tricky. When I won last time (in 2011) the kids were in bed by 9 so I had some free time after that before I got too tired! I’m not sure I’d be able to get out to a write-in, but they do sound like a lot of fun 🙂
It’s so hard to move past bad writing in the first draft for me. I’m a perfectionist so I struggle when it’s stuff I don’t love spilling onto the page, but I try to get past it for the sake of even having a first draft.
And oh man, I don’t know you writers with kids do it! I have no idea how I would add kids to this mix right now. I’m sure one day I’ll learn to juggle it, when kids eventually come, but more power to you for finding time in the midst of that!