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I can't believe it's been a month since Nano 2020 started. The month has flown by, but how did we all get one?
I knew this year's Nano was going to be a different without the library meet ups for write-ins and to discuss any issues we were having and book talk. We were giving Zoom a go instead of physical meet-ups but nobody was sure if it would work. But it did!
We had 2-3 Zoom calls each week, including an all-day write-in, and these really helped to motivate me to keep going. Also, working from home, I don't see many people other than my husband and kids, and those I do see are mostly people wearing masks in the supermarket, so it was nice to see actual faces again.
We had our final Zoom meet-up last night, where we got a few more words down before the end of Nano. I'd already reached the goal of 50,000 words but had set myself a new goal of 60,000 as there was still enough time to achieve this and I didn't want to lose the momentum I had going. And, by the end of Nanowrimo2020 I'd written 69,029 words of Book 13! And yesterday, thanks to that final push during the Zoom wrap-up write-in, I achieved a new daily word count personal best of 4,957 words.
I'm so pleased and proud of myself for writing so much. I didn't think I had it in me, but I definitely wouldn't have pushed myself if it wasn't for my local Nano group and our Zoom chats.
So what happens now?
I'm going to try to finish the first draft of Book 13 by Christmas so I can have a little break and dive back into Draft Two in the New Year.
What about you? How did you get on with this year's Nano? Let us know in the comments below :)
One of the fun things about writing a book is compiling an accompanying playlist - especially when it's a Christmas book you're writing and you get to choose festive favourites!
The 22 songs in The 12 Christmases of You & Me playlist all feature in the book, and there's everything from seasonal classics like Elton John and Cliff Richard, to warm-and-fuzzy-feels-generating carols. So sit back and enjoy, preferably with a mince pie and/or hot chocolate.
Please note: For those taking part in Whamageddon, the playlist is 'safe' as I've used Taylor Swift's version of 'Last Christmas', which is allowed under the rules. However, once the playlist finishes, I have no control over what's played next, so be on your guard...
What if you could go back in time and fix the biggest mistake of your life?
Two years ago, Maisie’s best friend walked out of her life and she hasn’t heard from him since. When she wakes up in 1994, she naturally assumes she’s dreaming. But when she finds herself in the past again the next night and her actions in the dream alter her present-day life, she begins to wonder if she’s somehow hopping back in time. And if she is time-travelling, can she save her friendship with Jonas?
When Maisie is forced to relive Christmases of the past, will she face up to her mistakes, or make them all over again? The 12 Christmases of You & Me is a magical tale of friendship, first loves, and learning to live in the present.
So, it's the last day of November and our final chance to get some words down for this year's nano.
A lot has happened over the past 30 days: the UK has gone into its second lockdown due to Coronavirus, Donald Trump lost the US election, and Christmas trees have started to pop up everywhere (we put ours up yesterday. It's a bit earlier than I'd usually deck my halls, but in your face, shitty 2020).
And as well as all that, writers have collectively tapped out or scribbled down an ENORMOUS amount of words. It doesn't matter if you wrote a handful of words, 50,000 or exceeded the Nanowrimo goal - YOU contributed to that amount. How cool is that?
Anyway, I need to step away from the blog right now, because I've pointed out it's the final day of Nano and I want to get as many words down as I can...
In my time-travel rom com, The 12 Christmases of You & Me, Maisie travels back in time to Christmases of her past, and we're going to travel back with her and find out what was happening during the years she goes back to.
The year 2000 marked not only a new decade but a new millennium. During the year we had a cartoon builder reach number one in the charts, Tom Hanks made friends with a volleyball, and Big Brother began its run in the UK.
Christmas Number One:
Can We Fix It (Bob the Builder)
Big Chart Hits in the UK:
Who Let The Dogs Out (Baha Men)
It Feels so Good (Sonique)
The Real Slim Shady (Eminem)
Rise (Gabrielle)
Pure Shores (All Saints)
Toca's Miracle (Fragma)
Reach (S Club 7)
Rock DJ (Robbie Williams)
I Have a Dream/Seasons In The Sun (Westlife)
Fill Me In (Craig David)
Highest Grossing Films:
Mission: Impossible 2
Gladiator
Cast Away
What Women Want
Dinosaur
Events, Music & TV:
Catherine Hartley and Fiona Thornewill reach the South Pole - a first for British women
Kathy Beale and Ricky Butcher leave Eastenders
A bus crash in Emmerdale kills off character Butch Dingle
The Tate Modern is opened in London
Euro 2000 is co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium
In Cornation Street, thirteen-year-old Sarah Platt gives birth to daughter, Bethany
The UK's version of Big Brother airs on Channel 4, presented by Davina McCall. 'Nasty Nick' Bateman is ejected by the show after attempting to influence who the other contestants vote for. Craig Phillips wins the £70,000 prize
Home and Away airs for the last time on ITV before its move to Channel 5 next year
The Queen's Mother celebrates her 100th birthday
The Weakest Link debuts on BBC Two
Protestors block the entrances to oil refineries due to high fuel prices, which leads to fuel shortages when people start to panic buy
The Slater family arrive in Eastenders
The Olympic Games are held in Sydney, Australia. Great Britain win 11 gold, 10 silver and 7 bronze medals
Emmerdale increases its episodes to five nights a week
Judith Keppel is the first person to win a million pounds on ITV's Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?
Doctors, My Family, Waking the Dead, Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids, At Home with the Braithwaites, and Fat Friends also have their British TV debuts
What if you could go back in time and fix the biggest mistake of your life?
Two years ago, Maisie’s best friend walked out of her life and she hasn’t heard from him since. When she wakes up in 1994, she naturally assumes she’s dreaming. But when she finds herself in the past again the next night and her actions in the dream alter her present-day life, she begins to wonder if she’s somehow hopping back in time. And if she is time-travelling, can she save her friendship with Jonas?
When Maisie is forced to relive Christmases of the past, will she face up to her mistakes, or make them all over again? The 12 Christmases of You & Me is a magical tale of friendship, first loves, and learning to live in the present.
In my time-travel rom com, The 12 Christmases of You & Me, Maisie travels back in time to Christmases of her past, and we're going to travel back with her and find out what was happening during the years she goes back to.
In the final year of the 90s, Britney Spears arrived on our screens in her school uniform and pigtails, Star Wars made a return to the big screen and Haley Joel Osment saw dead people.
Christmas Number One:
I Have a Dream/Seasons in the Sun (Westlife)
Big Chart Hits in the UK:
Baby One More Time (Britney Spears)
Heartbeat/Tragedy (Steps)
Livin' La Vida Loca (Ricky Martin)
Blue (Da Ba Dee) (Eiffel 65)
Mambo No 5 (a Little Bit of...) (Lou Bega)
That Don't Impress Me Much (Shania Twain)
9pm (Till I Come (ATB)
Better Off Alone (Alice Deejay)
The Millennium Prayer (Cliff Richard)
Genie In A Bottle (Christina Aguilera)
Highest Grossing Films:
Star Wars Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace
The Sixth Sense
Toy Story 2
The Matrix
Tarzan
Events, Music & TV:
Macmillan publish Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo
BBC's Casualty spawns spin-off, Holby City
Kim Tate leaves Emmerdale (and will wait almost 20 years before she returns)
Channel 4 airs Sex and The City for the first time
Russel T. Davies' Manchester-based drama Queer As Folk debuts on Channel 4
Noel's House Party is axed
Minimum wage is introduced to the UK, set at £3.60 for employees over 21, and £3 for those under 21
S Club 7 make their TV debut in Miami 7, a children's series aired on BBC One, which will launch their music career
Richard and Judy host the first British Soap Awards on ITV
Newsreader Trevor McDonald is knighted
Grant Mitchel leaves Eastenders
Wales hosts the 1999 rugby world cup
Roy Walker hosts his final episode of Catchphrase
The London Eye is unveiled
The Millennium Dome officially opens
Gimme Gimme Gimme, Tweenies, DIY SOS, The League of Gentlemen, The Naked Chef, Bad Girls, My Parents Are Aliens, Boyz Unlimited and Shipwrecked also have their British TV debuts
What if you could go back in time and fix the biggest mistake of your life?
Two years ago, Maisie’s best friend walked out of her life and she hasn’t heard from him since. When she wakes up in 1994, she naturally assumes she’s dreaming. But when she finds herself in the past again the next night and her actions in the dream alter her present-day life, she begins to wonder if she’s somehow hopping back in time. And if she is time-travelling, can she save her friendship with Jonas?
When Maisie is forced to relive Christmases of the past, will she face up to her mistakes, or make them all over again? The 12 Christmases of You & Me is a magical tale of friendship, first loves, and learning to live in the present.
On Saturday, I reached 50,000 words of Book 13 and 'won' Nanowrimo 2020. I wasn't expecting to get to my goal with just over a week to spare, but it was a really, really lovely surprise to get there so soon and I can't quite believe I managed to write 50,000 words in such a short space of time.
So what now? Should I collapse (sounds good) or shall I carry on?
I'm going to carry on and aim for a new Nano goal of 60,000 words, which will get me to about three-quarters of the way through the first draft. I have until Monday night to do this, with a planned Zoom write-in with my local Nano writers' group that evening so I'm sure I can do it (and I'm going to give it my best shot even if I don't get there).
