Sunday, November 8, 2009

NaNoWriMo Wrap-Up Week 1

The first week of NaNo (short for: National Novel Writing Month) is over and I'm at approximately 10,500 words. This is a shade under the minimum cumulative word requirement (I'm supposed to be at around 13,333 by tonight), but numerically I'm still really satisfied because I managed to write at least once a day and do that in between insane schoolwork, swimming, reading, and keeping up a semblance of a normal-person social life. I may have to constantly fight to stay within reach of the daily word count, but I think the best part is that I'm able to write once a day, to fit writing into my daily routine without too much trouble.

On the bad side... I'm not really sure where my story is going to go. *sigh* I wrote a really elaborate ten-page plot synopsis before November, so I know the general path my story arc is going to take, but then unexpected things keep on cropping up. For instance, I'm not really satisfied with how the main character's family is currently turning out: a bunch of unfeeling, unsympathetic, and unrealistic characters. Ugh. I definitely need to get more experience writing parents and siblings. Also, I'm 10,000 words in, but the other main character has not even shown up yet. A definite no-no in middle-grade fiction. Also, my MC is obsessed with soccer, which I know very little of. Right now I'm just winging it with my limited soccer vocabulary, but that's something I'm going to research more come December and January. It also brings up the question of whether to do research before, during, or after writing the story. I think that having a small but sturdy base of knowledge to draw from (in terms of characters' interests, the setting, the things I enjoy about the particular genre I'm writing in) is not a bad thing.

I'm trying not to have writer's doubts plague me and cause me to give up on writing this uncertain story, but I know that I'll have my work cut out for me when it comes to revising. Ah, well! I have yet to revise the story I completed mid-October, before NaNo started, so I'm not sure how my new revising strategy will work. The first story that I completed, four years ago, consisted of me often rereading what I had written and fixing as I reread. Now, I don't allow myself to do that. The first draft is seriously the first draft, in that I just tell myself to get my words out in whatever mangled, jumbled, incomprehensible, or terribly cliched way they come out, and I will fix it once the first draft is finished. I suspect that I've done a lot of editing in my past and not revising (editing is getting closer to what you've written in order to nitpick, while revising is taking a step back and trashing complete scenes or characters while writing in completely fresh ones), so I'm looking forward to getting a chance to try out revising.

I suppose I should also talk about the things I'm happy about in my writing so far. I'm pretty fond of my MC and her love of sports and pretty things, simultaneously. I enjoy writing about the boys in the park who shun her when she wants to join their pickup soccer games, because I can sense the boys' internal struggle over whether to let her in because she's really good, thereby risking ridicule and alienation from their friends, or to continue to not accept her because she's different from them, because that is what their society has taught them to think even though, as 12-year-olds, athletic talent trumps old-fashioned forms of prejudice.

And that's my NaNo summary for the week! How are you guys doing in terms of staying with the daily word count? Are you satisfied with how your story is going? Did you plot beforehand, or are you kind of winging it, letting the characters take you where they want to? Have you been revising as you go along, or do you, like me, not let yourself look back at what you've written to avoid being sucked into premature revising/editing? Don't forget to find me on the NaNoWriMo page (my username is stephxsu) if you haven't already! :)

13 comments:

  1. Don't look back! Just look forward! Keep writing!

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  2. I can totally sympathise with the whole lack of knowledge thing. My MC is a musician. I know nothing about music. I just write what I think it is like and figure I can correct inaccuracies in December. 10000 words is great progress. Hang in there. Don't give up now. You're doing just fine!

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  3. It sounds like you're probably doing even better than you realise, Steph! Getting into the habit of writing your story every day is one of the best things you can do for your writing, and you are doing it girl!! Plus, soccer... hmm. You could always check out the movie version of Bend It Like Beckham for a quick insight.

    I think I've unofficially quit my first NaNo. I'm still *trying*, but I probably shouldn't have attempted it at this moment in time. Plus, I'm a planner, and I've tried to do the 'just write and see where it takes me' thing. Big mistake.

    It's all a learning process, right? Sounds like we're both doing that. :)

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  4. Revising is so good when you know exactly how the scene should really be! The worst feeling for me is knowing I need to revise but not knowing how to go about it.

    I love youtube for quick research. Lately I've been trawling it for stuff on glass blowing and medieval dances! Wikipedia is my constant companion too.

    Good luck and keep writing!

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  5. Sounds like you're doing pretty good to me! I've added you as a friend - I'm brizmus, you should add me, too!
    I know how you feel about it not going anywhere. I'm about 18000 (17943 to be precise) words in, and I suddenly have NO CLUE where I am going.
    But then, I didn't plot before hand like you did.
    Good luck!!!

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  6. Sounds like you're doing pretty good to me! I've added you as a friend - I'm brizmus, you should add me, too!
    I know how you feel about it not going anywhere. I'm about 18000 (17943 to be precise) words in, and I suddenly have NO CLUE where I am going.
    But then, I didn't plot before hand like you did.
    Good luck!!!

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  7. I know what's gonna happen (aproximately.) but the thing about my books is that I know the basic story, but i don't know a lot of little things. and it usually changes A LOT. so my book will probably take a turn that I didn't expect. My characters are the dictators--I'm just the secretary.

    as far as the word count, pfsh i'm way under. but my writing comes in chunks, so i'll get it eventually ;)

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  8. I think it's a good idea to just write in the beginning and see what comes out. Also, I don't think it's too bad of an idea to be a bit unclear as to where the story is heading; that way the possibilities are endless.

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  9. Developing the writing habit is so important, so I think it's key to celebrate that you're writing daily! And I agree w what you say about editing versus revising. For NaNo, I am revising in a major way and it involves a lot of reimagining.

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  10. Hey, that word count and the writing a bit every day is GREAT! I have a decent-ish word count at the moment, but I've been skipping several days at a time, and I know that's not good for the writing habit. I need to buckle down and give up a couple of things (extensive blog surfing, anyone?). I love soccer! And I think it's awesome that you're writing about girls and sports. My (male) NaNo MC plays water polo. :)
    Best of luck, and KEEP GOING. Given the fabulous content of your blog, I don't doubt that you'll get a beautifully written story out of this experience (given some time and revising, of course)! :)

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  11. You look back just go forward ....good going..

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  12. Great to know that you're doing well with NaNoWriMo. I have to try real hard to catch up with you. Your story sounds really interesting. I hope you'll finish it soon and I can read it some day, maybe in a real book format? :D

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  13. You are doing great with NaNo. Keep up the great work.

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