I’ve been thinking about what I want to do for NaNoWriMo 2021. I blame NaNoWriMo sending an email to their prep course.
My current feeling is that I need to work on my current big fiction WIP (work in progress). The problem is that the WIP is in the really awkward middle place where I’m probably about 22,000 words in but also it’s reallllly not great yet. You know, the point of writing where the flow has stopped, lots of plot and universe holes exist and it looks like it’ll never be redeemable? Yeah, that point. I have it printed, sitting next to me and glaring at me as I haven’t gone through and marked up plot holes like I had planned to. It’d be good to get that done before November.
Rebel O’Clock
I am (and have always been) a NaNo “rebel”; I usually have a main project to work on but I can’t do just one thing, my brain isn’t wired that way. Swapping between projects is the best way to make me stay interested. I do have a few other WIPs to consider that are far less developed, so while I will work on them at some point during the month, they won’t be my main project.
Short Stories
There’s also the consideration of using NaNo to create some super-short stories for my Patreon page. These are often borne out of the “need” to hit my word count for the day and I start playing with random prompt generators. There’s often a lack of substance to actually make these a story story, but I think I can find a short story “use” for them. I just need to find a way to wrap them up. I’m great at starting them but less great at finishing them. Which can be me on a lot of topics, not just writing.
That’s what I’m thinking so far, but I haven’t worked through the prep course much yet, so I’ll see what else sparks an idea in me.
Read part 2 and part 3 and part 4 of this unplanned NaNo prep series!
Are you doing NaNoWriMo 2021? Any thoughts about what you’ll be working on? Are you a NaNo rebel or purist?
I’m due to start something new next month, but still have something old to finish that is taking its own sweet time about being finished. I think I’ll do nano, but to focus on an existing project…and yeah, I’ve been getting the mails…
I’ve gotten as far as loading the nano prep pdf into my goodnotes app … now I have to read it haha. And do that big edit on the 20k words I have so far to bring it up to scratch so I can keep writing it in November.
I like that you are excited about it and planning to do it. A great distraction from “life” as it is right now and one you love. Go Vanessa.
Thank you for sharing your post as part of Monday’s Life This Week. I do enjoy seeing my blogging friends pop in with a post to share and a comment too. Always appreciated. Next week, the optional prompt is View. I hope to see you there too. Take care, Denyse.
[…] You can find part 1 (which didn’t know it was going to be a part 1) here. […]
Yay! I’m doing it too! Starting my prep and might focus on short stories and a nonfic idea I have! I’m pretty sure we are ‘friends’ on the NaNo website but in any case, will keep up with how you’re tracking as well
[…] I need to prepare if I’m going to get through NaNoWriMo this year”. You can also read part 1 and part 2. Here I reached one question I could easily […]
[…] part 1, part 2, and part […]