Nanowrimo 2022 - How Did It Go?

 

It's the 1st December, which means Nanowrimo 2022 is over.
How did you get on?

I have to admit, I wasn't sure I'd get anywhere near the 50,000 words mark during this year's Nano. I've 'won' Nano twice before (when I wrote huge chunks of The 12 Christmases of You & Me and The Christmas Cupid) but last year was pretty hectic and I only managed 20-25k. Nanowrimo2021 left me feeling frazzled and it really knocked my confidence as a writer as I struggled to juggle everything that was going on in my life.

But this year's Nano started really well and I was clocking up lots of words. Was it possible I could get down more words than last year?

By the second week, I'd managed to write pretty much the same amount that I got down during 2021's Nanowrimo, and by Week 3, I was really starting to believe that I could hit the 50k target. I was juggling everything that I had the year before but I was managing to keep everything up in the air so much better.

By yesterday, the final day of Nano, I had just less than 1,000 words to make the 50,000 words target, which I managed to hit in the morning.

I was so pleased to reach the goal, and not because it meant I 'won' Nano. It has given me my confidence back. I've really loved writing this month and although I won't have as much time to dedicate to writing during December, I'm hoping to keep up some of the momentum and carry it on in the new year.

To celebrate getting our words down, my local writing group met up in the evening for a meal and a catch up and it was so lovely to relax with friends after such a hectic month. I had tapas plus a massive brownie sundae (it is nearly Christmas and I've just written 50,000 words in a month, so I deserved it).

How did you get on during this year's Nano?

Nanowrimo 2022 - The Final Push

We're in Week 3 of NaNoWriMo 2022. This time next week there'll be a rush to get those final words down, but how's it going so far?

I started Week 3 at 36,448 words, which I'm really pleased with and I'm starting to believe I can actually reach the 50,000 words by the end of November. I think it'll be tight, but I'm going to do my best to get there. But even if I don't reach it, I'll still have loved taking part in this year's Nano because I lost my confidence a bit with writing last year, especially when I didn't do as well as I'd hoped during Nano. But this year's Nano has shown me that I can do this. I can write in between all the other stuff that life throws at us, and I'm so grateful that I can physically write as a few months ago it wasn't really possible (a blog post took me three days to put together, a little bit at a time) as I was ill and my hands were so messed up. So whatever my Nano word count is, I'll be happy.

I didn't manage to get to this week's in-person write-in at the library, but there's an online meet-up tomorrow that I'm looking forward to attending. Hopefully I'll get some extra words down!

How are you getting on with Nano this year?

Nanowrimo 2022 - We're Halfway There!

It's Day 15 of NaNoWriMo 2022, which means we've reached the halfway point!

The first two weeks of November have flown by; one minute I'm posting my Day 1 Nano photo on Instagram, the next I'm posting a halfway there pic - madness!

I've really enjoyed the past couple of weeks though, and I've loved diving into my book at every opportunity, wondering where my characters are going to take me next.

We're at the halfway point of the challenge and I'm not quite there with the word count, but I'm not far off at all and I'm going into the second half of Nano at a teeny smidge over 24,000 words. I'm really pleased with this amount as not only am I very nearly on track, I'm also around the point I reached for the whole of the month during last year's Nano, where I managed 20-25k.

I'm aiming for 3,000 words today, to take me up to 27,000 words, which will definitely take me over last year's word count. I've got an in-person Nano meet-up at the library this evening so that should definitely help me to reach my goal. I've only managed to attend one meet-up so far so I'm looking forward to finding out how the others are getting on with their projects.

NaNoWriMo 2022 - How Are We Getting On?

 

We're four days into this year's Nanowrimo - how are we getting on?

Nano kicked off on Tuesday, with a massive 50k goal for the month of November. I doubt I'll reach the official goal but I do love the community spirit of Nanowrimo and I'll be happy with any amount of words I get down.

On Tuesday, I met up with some other Nanowrimo-ers at the library, where we shared what we're working on and got some words down. I'm not starting a new project for this year's Nano as I'm mid-project, so I'll be clocking up as many words as I can for my WIP.

I've had a good start to this year's Nano, and I've managed to add almost 8.5k words to my current book. I'm writing another rom com and I'm loving being immersed in the story. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to my characters next!

How are you getting on with this year's challenge?

Are We Ready For Nanowrimo?

Nanowrimo 2022 starts tomorrow, with writers spending November getting as many words down as they can.

For the past couple of years, my local Nano group have been meeting up over Zoom, but this year we're doing a mix of in-person and online meetings, and I can't wait to see everyone again and hopefully meet some new writers.

I'm pretty sure I won't clock up the 50,000 word goal again this year (I only managed about 20-25,000 words last year) but any words down on the page are better than none and I love the community spirit of Nano. If you are starting a new project and you're feeling a bit panicked that you're not prepped enough, I've got some quick ways to get to know your characters before you start your Nano project.

I'm cheating a bit this year as I'm mid-project, so I'll be continuing with this instead of starting something new for Nano 2022. I'll be posting quick progress updates on Instagram and, if I have time (!!!) more in-depth here on the blog.

If you're taking part - best of luck. It's completely crazy but so much fun!

Nanowrimo 2021: Over Halfway

 

We've passed the halfway point of Nanowrimo 2021 - how are you getting on?

In my last Nano post, I admitted that I was behind on my word count for the month and I'm afraid to say I'm still playing catch-up. But I'm still writing, still adding to my word count, and that's the important bit in my opinion.

I found myself struggling this week, even when I did have the time to sit and work on my book. I've blogged before about writing in 15-minute bursts and decided to put this into practice to see if it would help. I tweeted about it, to make myself accounantble, and off I went.

✅ 15-minute burst No.1

✅ 15-minute burst No.2

✅ 15-minute burst No.3

✅ 15-minute burst No.4

✅ 15-minute burst No.5

Writing in short bursts has really helped today and I've managed to reach my 2,000 words goal - total word count for the day = 2,193 🥳#NaNoWriMo

— Jennifer Joyce (@Writer_Jenn) November 15, 2021

I set my timer and managed to write just over 400 words in the 15 minutes. So I figured if I did 4 more 15-minute bursts, I should be able to reach 2,000 words. It seems ridiculous - 5x15mins=2,000 words? Nah. It can't work. But it did! And so I've been writing in 15-minute bursts for the rest of the this week. I don't always have time for 5 lots, but I'm much more productive in the time I do have. I'm no longer staring at the screen or wandering off to Twitter or Instagram.

My goal for today was to reach 20,000 words and with my 15-minute bursts, I managed to leap over the milestone. This book is getting there, one word at a time.

 

A Nanowrimo 2021 Update

 

It's been just over a week since the start of this year's Nanowrimo - how are you getting on?

I'm going to be honest: I'm behind on my word count already. But life sometimes gets in the way and I am plodding along, adding bits and pieces to my word count when I can. And I've reached the 10,000 words mark, which needs celebrating.

I've taken part in two online write-ins over Zoom with my local Nano writing group, which has definitely helped to increase my word count. I've got another one tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it. I love the community spirit of Nano and it's great to catch up with everyone and see how they're getting on with their projects.

If You're Taking Part In Nanowrimo, It's Totally Okay To...

 

... momentarily forget about real life. Who is this 'mum' you speak of? And what is this 'lunch' you keep requesting?

... get super-competitive. With yourself. 'Last year I exceeded my Nano goal by 3,000 words - this year I'm going to exceed it by six thousand, even if means I don't sleep for a month'.

... raid the Christmas treats early as word snackage. Something has to get you through 50,000 words, and that something is a tub of Quality Street.

... fill the Sky Q box with recordings of all the shows that will have to make way for writing. Better get deleting some stuff to make room.

... celebrate the milestones. Shout about that first 500 words on Twitter. Stick a screenshot of the 10,000 words mark on Instagram. Post a part-triumphant, part-frazzled selfie on Facebook when you limp past 40,000 words. And definitely tell everyone loud and clear if you reach 50,000 words. 

... not reach 50,000 words. Because that is a LOT of words to write in one month - and that's without factoring in real life. Celebrate however many words you achieve, because it'll be more words than you had on the page at the beginning of the month. Your words are enough, however many you write in November.

... be kind to yourself, and those around you. Maybe feed your kids once in a while. And perhaps it's best not to eat all the Christmas treats (or replace them if you do). And you should definitely sleep, no matter how competitive you're feeling.

If You're Plotting a Book it's Totally Okay To...

If You're Writing a Book, it's Totally Okay To...

If You're Editing a Book, it's Totally Okay To...

Ready, Set, Nano!

It's the 1st November, which means only one thing: it's time to Nano.

This is the third time I'm going to attempt Nanowrimo and although I feel like I'm prepared with my chapter plans and my Pinterest boards and my character questionnaires, I know it's going to be a challenge. But I'm trying to not put too much pressure on myself, because I want to enjoy the next month. It's going to be intense, but writing and creating stories should be fun.

My plan is to write 2,000 words for six days of the week to reach the 50,000 words, but life sometimes throws obstacles in our way so I'm not going to fret if I don't reach any of my milestones (though I will absolutely give myself a massive pat on the back for every one I do reach).

For the past couple of years, Nanowrimo has meant trying to reach that 50k goal, but for me, this year is going to be about making a start on Book 16 and enjoying being part of the Nano writing community. I loved all the Zoom sessions I had with my local group last year, and I took that away with me more than the word count.

So, I hope to reach the 50k during November, but I'm not heaping the pressure on myself. And with that in mind, I'm going to dive in to Nano2021. Let's do this!

Get Ready for Nanowrimo 2021

 

Are you taking part in this year's NaNoWriMo?

It's October, which means that Nano2021 is heading our way. Nanowrimo has been going for a long time, but this is only my third go at it; during Nano2019, I wrote a chunk of the first draft of The 12 Christmases of You & Me, and I wrote almost 70,000 words of a new (as yet unpublished) book last year.

Next month, I'll be starting a new book (which has the imaginative working title of 'Book 16') and I've been busy getting ready to dive into the first draft on 1st November. Here's how I've been prepping:

Some people are pantsters. They dive straight into a project without a plan. I am not a pantster. Far from it. I like big plans and I cannot lie.

(Although I did write the first draft of Book 15 without any sort of plan. I enjoyed writing it, but this is not the norm and I won't be repeating it in a hurry! I blogged about it here)

I like the security net of having plans in place before I start a book and I've already plotted Book 16 down to individual chapters and scenes. It took a bit of time, but I know it'll be worth it in November when I can look at my plan and know what I should be writing every time I sit down for a Nano session.

I've been getting to know my characters by pinning images on my Pinterest board and filling in questionnaires and career tests on behalf of my characters (I blogged about this too here)

I've logged back into the Nano website and created a new goal for Book 16 so that I can log my words after each writing session during November. I love seeing the book grow on the little bar on the website, inching nearer to my goal every day. It's a great motivational tool.

I joined a local writing group that were taking part in Nanowrimo in 2019, and I've found being part of the group has really helped me keep up my word count during Nano. In 2019 we'd meet up at the library for writing sessions and chats, but we had to rely on Zoom last year - and it still worked! We'll be meeting up online again this year and I'm looking forward to finding out what everyone is working on this year.

Last year, I set myself a daily word count goal of 2,000 words during Nano, but for six days a week instead of seven so that I could have a break and prevent burnout. It worked really, really well (I managed to write almost 70,000 words during the month) so I'm going to aim for 2,000 words a day for six days a week again. Fingers crossed it works out just as well this year!

How are you getting ready for Nanowrimo?

Writing Tips: 3 Ways I'm Getting To Know My Characters

 

It's October, which means Nanowrimo will be starting in just one month. I've already plotted out the book I'm planning to work on during November (I know, get me being all organised) but now I want to get to know my characters a bit better before I start.

There are probably loads of different ways that writers get to know their characters, but these are the three ways I'm going to get to know mine in preparation of Nano 2021:

Pinterest is a brilliant tool for writers, and one of the ways I use it is to create a board for my characters and pin images that I feel represent them; their hobbies, their  jobs, aspects of their personality, their look. 

This worked particularly well during the run-up to last year's Nanowrimo. I had my plot, planned out down to each individual chapter and scene, but I wasn't sure who my main character was. I was having a little look at Pinterest and I came across a photo of a woman wearing a thick green woolly coat with an orange skirt, royal blue jumper, grey tights and brown lace-up boots, and it was seeing this mish-mash of colours that somehow worked that made Zoey's character start to come alive in my head. I could see her wearing that outfit and as I searched for more quirky clashing outfits, her image grew with every picture that I pinned.

There are loads of questionnaires that you can find online to fill out about your characters. For last year's book, I used Nanowrimo's questionnaire and although I didn't use all the questions provided, I picked out a few that I thought would be most useful. I didn't want reams and reams of questions and answers, but I did find those few I chose really helpful in finding out what made my characters tick.

It sounds a bit odd to take a career test on behalf of your character (especially if you're not trying to find a career for them, though sometimes I am looking for ideas for that too) but having to think about the answers your character would give to the questions is really helpful and I often find out things about my character that I wasn't aware of before the test!

So those are three ways I'll be getting to know my characters over the next few weeks. If you have any tips of your own, feel free to share in the comments below :)

Nanowrimo 2020 - The Results

 

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 :)