Another NaNo finished. This was my second NaNo, slightly less successful than the first one, but more productive.
Now to explain that contradictory statement - doing my first NaNo in 2009, I was super-excited, and determined to finish an entire first draft. I obsessed over it entire month. I took my netbook with me to work, so I could write in the mornings and evenings during bus journeys. I made NaNo the prime focus of my life. So I did finish the whole first draft - around 87K, I believe - on 28th of November.
This year, I did not succeed in that goal - to finish the entire draft. I have gotten to about 81500, or somewhere there abouts, and there are still several scenes to go, so looking at probably another 10K. Yet, this year's NaNo was more productive, because this month, it wasn't possible for me to obsess only over NaNo. I wrote almost every day - though granted, large chunk of this word count is due to complete obsession in the first week when I wrote a lot - but I didn't write during the bus rides, and didn't spend entire evenings writing either. Since I am going abroad next week, I had far too many things to do for that, and for Christmas, so basically, I did NaNo while continuing with other priorities in my life. I think that's more productive, because it is also more realistic look at writer's life.
If I am fortunate enough to be a full-time writer one day, I won't be able to simply chuck away all other responsibilities to just write obsessively - or if I do, then I will be spending next couple of months, not writing, and catching up on everything I didn't do. I think it's far more useful to be able to write, while living your life, to make writing a part of regular life rather than temporary obsession.
I still love NaNo, and I would still participate, because November certainly gets me going, and I do like to win the official NaNo - which I will admit, I have no problems with, that's why I set myself higher goal to finish the whole draft. But it does make me write, and it does make me focus, and it does make me want to push myself more to see what I can do better while I knock out a lot of words.
So YAY NaNoWriMo!! And now - I have decided very unrealistically to keep working on my draft while I am on my hoilday in Tenerife (and if you know me at all, you may know that my vacations are never about sitting by the pool and relaxing - so when actually I will accomplish that, I have no idea). I am sure you will hear all about the progress or lack-of-it of this new scheme upon my return. ;)
How was your NaNoWriMo? And if you didn't do NaNo, how was your November? Did you accomplish what you set out to accomplish?
I put on an enjoyable convention, collapsed in a heap for a few days, then spent the rest of the month furiously CUTTING words from my WIP. I effectively did NaNo in reverse :)
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