With 1 week and 14,000 words down in NaNoWriMo, this is what I have learned;
It is easier to write when you have a fully formed idea of what you are writing.
- Taking a little extra time to think about the details you write into a scene, character or dialogue can significantly enhance the story, and the word count (therefore making NaNoWriMo easier).
- Every writing class I have taken, including editing classes, have affected every manuscript to come after.
- An average of 1667 words a day is not always possible. I’ve worked out which days I can write more on, and aim high on those days. Some days I can only get a few words in, and on Tuesdays I write nothing. This is because it’s hard to fit it in, and because I want rest day.
- Getting up to have a 5 minute break IS helpful (I already knew this one, but wanted to share it with you). I often come back to the laptop and feel my fingers dance across the keys.
- It doesn’t matter how bad it is, you can edit later.
Whether you are participating in NaNoWriMo, or simply working on your manuscript, remember; you are only shovelling sand into a box to later build castles.