Nano Complications
So, I've had these nagging thoughts that I might not have enough story to reach 50k. Techinically I do because I (thankfully) wrote out major plot points ahead of time. But since I'd purposely focused on writing shorter chapters, I'm wondering if the pacing is too quick at the start. Here's where the fast and furious pace of Nano is a drawback. All the advice says, whatever you do, DON'T GO BACK! It's all about churning out wordcount and making it to the end.
Yesterday, I did the dreaded Go Back. I reviewed the first few chapters and added more detail, thinking this would add to my day's wordcount. A good strategy, no? Only, it's really really tough not to edit while those extra details are added in. If I'd used that time to write totally new scenes, I probably would have turned out twice the word count. The real question is, would it be quality? Or would it just be cut later?
So, is your goal just to get 50k words by the end of November, or do you want quality material you can work with and edit?
What is your Nano strategy? What have you tried--and possibly failed at--and what works for you?
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I too tried the Go Back, writing the new words in a different color font so I'd be able to tally them up later. It also seemed like a good idea at the time...but it was painstaking!
ReplyDeleteI want quality words at the end of November and not 50,000 rubbish words. I took a step back some days ago, and today I actually feel like doing some writing again, so that's good. I'm sitting at almost 16,000 words, so that's nothing to be ashamed about. :) Good luck with your NaNo-ing!
ReplyDeleteI just added you on NaNo...I'm behind on my word count. I've gone back to add stuff--for me that actually has beefed up my word count because I'm adding stuff and not fixing stuff. This is my first NaNo experience so I don't have a strategy other than to keep writing. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteyou are over and that is awesome!!! keep up the good writing!
ReplyDeleteFor me, NaNo hasn't been about quality words--it's been more about getting the skeleton of my story down. I've tried outlining, and major plot points has been about as far as I've been able to get. I need to draft to figure out the rest of the story. My goal is to get to 50k words by the end of November, but I'm not sure where that will put me in terms of a completed first draft. We'll see. :)
ReplyDeleteI think if I view this as a really long outline, that's helpful; the skeleton of the story, even if gaps need to be filled in. I agree, not really a completed first draft, but possibly more progress than no Nano involvement!
DeleteThis is my first NaNo, and I've struggled with the "full steam ahead" concept, because I edit quite a bit as I write. But that also makes me a slow writer, and I like the idea of throwing it on the page in November, taking December off, and hitting it hard again in January with my editor hat on.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes. I'm a bit behind, sitting at 25,122 as of yesterday. I need to get to writing and catch up!