Nano 2019 - How Did I Get On?

November has passed in a bit of a blur of bashing out words at home and write-ins at the library as I attempted Nanowrimo for the first time. I didn't think I'd be able to manage 50k in a month; I aimed for around 20k per month for my last book as I needed to slow down a bit for my own sanity, but even before that, when I wrote as quickly as possible, I managed around 40k max a month. 

But I did it! I reached 50,000 words on Friday 29 November - so I had a day to spare. I don't think I'd have managed to make the 50,000 words if I'd have been going it alone. I usually write during the day - mostly mornings - and only open my laptop at the weekend if I'm nearing a deadline. But with so many words to get down, I had to commit to writing every day (which I mostly did. I had a tooth extracted and when I got home from the dentist, I got into my pyjamas and felt sorry for myself for the rest of the day in front of the telly instead of writing, which I think is totally reasonable). I even made myself sit with my laptop for extra writing sessions in the evenings, which I only usually do when those pesky deadlines are within reach. I know me - I'm a lazy sod - so I know I'd have slumped in front of the telly if it hadn't been for the writing group at the library and our collective Nano attempt.

Joining the writing group has been brilliant for me, as it's not only made me push myself, I've also met some other local writers. After our final writing session on Saturday, we went out for a meal to celebrate surviving Nano, which was a lot of fun and a great way to unwind after such a hectic month!

Thanks to Nano, I'm now in the final stages of Book 11 and I'm hoping to have a first draft finished by Christmas.

Did you take part in Nano this year? How did you get on?

Nano 2019: The Halfway Point

I'm giving Nanowrimo a go for the first time this year, and the past two weeks have flown by! I usually aim for 1,000 words per day, Monday to Friday, which doesn't add up to 50,000 words so I've had to push myself this month. 

I've written something every day - even if it was only 499 words, which happened on Wednesday. It wasn't a lot of words, but it was all I could manage and I'm not going to beat myself up over it. 499 words is better than nothing!

Some days, I've even grabbed my laptop in the evenings instead of slumping in front of the TV, and I've been to the write-ins with a writing group at the library, which equals more wordage. So far this month, I've managed to write over 23,000 words, so pushing myself with Nano is definitely making me more productive. It isn't quite the halfway mark of the 50k but I'm sure if I push myself a bit more over the next couple of weeks, I'll meet my target!

Are you taking part in Nano? Let us know how you're getting on in the comments below :)

Nano 2019

Are you taking part in Nano this year? I've always wanted to attempt it and this time I'm giving it a go. I'll be working on Book 11, so hopefully by the end of the month I'll have a massive chunk of the first draft down.

I won't be taking on the challenge alone because as well as the online nano community, I've also joined a local writing group who are taking part. We're meeting for our first Nano session tomorrow to get some words down and encourage each other.

I've already done a lot of the prep by planning out the book, so now all I have to do is write 50,000 words. Easy, right? *gulps*

Wish me luck!