NaNoWriMo 2014 | The End

The last week of NaNoWriMo this year was not the best for me, and I'm already thinking about how I can make next year better. How I can push myself in a more sure way. I like writing all of the words, but I'd like to refocus on stuff and write maybe not all the words (though a lot of them, let's be real here, once you overachieve, you never go back, friends. Be warned).

It was still an okay week. I had one day where I wrote nothing, however, and another day I wrote the equivalent of nothing (I think I wrote 200 words? It's few enough, I'm just skipping that day, too, mostly because I didn't post about it).

And now, after the month, a few days after - I'm still exhausted. And it's not the good 'yes, I fucking did it, take that, novel' exhausted, which is an exhaustion I don't mind and actually kind of revel in, because hell yeah I did it. This exhaustion is sadder, more just sigh.

Though I'm still proud of what I did this year - 300k is nothing to shake a stick at. And I'm overly proud about writing 50k day one but am more convinced then ever about never doing that thing again unless I have a lot of story to write in a limited timeframe. Even then, I'm not so sure about it, honestly.

Saying this, I'll probably still be considering joining the lovely, and as insane as me, overachievers who end up doing it every year.

If you participated this year - I hope it went well, at least, and I'd love to hear a sum up of your month. Or let me know if you posted some kind of wrap up (just the month/weekly/whatever). And if you're on the fence - next year! Even if you on'y write ten thousand, fifteen thousand, twenty five - that's that many words that I'm sure you wouldn't of written otherwise. November makes you push yourself - write more then you thought you could or write on a project you thought you were stuck on.

It's more then worth it, trust me, even just giving it a try. I challenge you, next year, NaNoWriMo 2015 - see you there (it'll be my seventh year, which is incredible that this was my sixth).

Day Twenty Two (261,876)
Day Twenty Three (263,323)
Day Twenty Four (273,113)
Day Twenty Five (285,259)
Day Twenty Six (292,129)
Day Twenty Nine (300,613)
Day Thirty (308,128)

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NaNoWriMo 2014 | Week Three

Week three was rough, this whole month has been hard because I'm an idiot and strive for ridiculous goals, but I always find week two and three the hardest. Week two is notorious for being bad, but I always find week three just as bad because for me the end isn't in sight yet, until the very end, maybe, and week four, I know, is going to be ridiculously hard in it's own right, but at least the end is close enough to taste then.

To break it down for you - my accidental goal is 400k, which is 400,000 words. Which means I have to write 100,000 words every week. This is the top I'll probably ever be able to do, and now that I'm so close, I just want to hit it, I want to be able to say - look, I did it. And then sleep for a week. 

I wrote that beginning on day sixteen (maybe?), I believe, trying to just prepare this post a little early so I could have it up on time and blah, blah. And I just gave in on the twentieth. That's not how I feel anymore, and it's not my goal. I don't think I have enough planned out or can physically do it. I'm exhausted and worn down and so burned out that I can barely force myself to finish this post because I just want to stare blankly at something and sleep.

I don't know what I'm going to hit this year, for a goal, but I do want to keep writing. I did take kind of two days off so far, though, just because of exhaustion and burn outness.

I hope your NaNo's are going well - that last week down hill slide should kick in any day now and then it's like you're flying to 50k (or whatever you're goal it). I hope it kicks in for me, if I can find my brain again.

Day Fifteen (207,172)
Day Sixteen (223,603)
Day Seventeen (228,073)
Day Eighteen (242,053)
Day Nineteen (253,150)
Day Twenty (254,264)
Day Twenty One (255,525)

And while I may not have written on the twentieth, I did bleach my hair. And isn't that kind of win? (I've never done it before, I'm surprisingly pleased with how it came out. Do any of you guys do that or have done it? Or had it done? I'm curious).

NaNoWriMo 2014 | Week Two

Week two is notoriously the worst of the weeks. And it wasn't a good one for me this year. Saying that - I kept on track and I'm technically one day ahead as of writing this (early morning day fifteen as I remembered these, panicked because I felt like I missed one because it felt like months, and then realized I hadn't!)

Staying on track, though, and having a good week aren't the same in NaNoWriMo - mostly because i should of been able to stay far ahead, since I got that 50k jumps start, but a 50k jump start doesn't mean much when you oops, I'm going for 400k. No, that's fine, that's not completely terrifying.

If any of you have large NaNo goals, or are thinking of it for next year, literally the most important thing I can offer you (besides just write) is to take it in small chunks. Don't lie to yourself about where you are, but take it in small chunks. And being a day ahead probably wouldn't hurt, I try to stay a day ahead, we'll see how this goes.

I think the worst part of doing NaNoWriMo again is knowing that you can't stop week two from affecting you, at least I haven't found a way. I also haven't found a way to make those 50k chunks easier - 30k's are always so hard why.

Overall, I'll happy with my progress this second week. But I'm also very angry at myself. Why did I decide to do this? We were going to have a leisure NaNoWriMo. 100k, probably 200k, and plenty of time to do other things. Ha, nope. I apparently hate myself.

Day Eight (119,165)
Day Nine (135,439)
Day Ten (147,021)
Day Eleven (161,712)
Day Twelve (175,405)
Day Thirteen (182,102)
Day Fourteen (203, 092)

Looking back on 2013, it's kind of strange to think I was on track to hit 400k at this point then, I also hit 200k on the 14th. It seems I can't go much faster then this. We'll see if I can keep this up or I'll end up fizzling a bit, like in 2013 (there were a few days were it looks like I wrote barely anything, probably less the 5k).

Now that I'm trying to reach this goal, though, I do want to reach it. On the other hand, I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't because my own mental health is important to me.

I miss reading. And outside. (.... really, mostly reading)

If you're participating - what's your word count? Are you on track for your goal (be it 50k or whatever, I'm curious, week two is rough)? And how are you feeling - about the writing in word terms, and in story terms?

November - Why there aren't going to be more posts here

Alright, that's a bit of a long title, and the answer is probably too simple: I'm writing. I'm literally putting all of my energy into writing and then, some lucky days, reading some. The thing is, I'd probably be able to write a few posts and get them up this month, but there's a problem - I don't know what I should write because I'm not really reading and all my brain power is being put into writing.

I have a few ideas for posts, the ones I've been circling around in my head, and I know there are some reviews that I'm long overdue for (and I'm still behind on my mini-reviews, as always). But I literally have no brain power at the moment to do that.

I actually forgot about writing up my NaNoWriMo week one wrap up until the day it was suppose to be posted (or the day after that, I can't remember. I also am pretty sure I mentioned that in said post, but it bares repeating to make the point).

Basically - I'm so sorry, I will try and make up for it in December, and I do have a lot of mosts I should be getting up that'll probably be going up then (I'll write them after I sleep for three days, read, and blindly stare at the wall). I also feel like I've just been in a blogging slump, mostly because I feel like I was in a little bit of reading slump (and then as soon as I wanted to read all the things... HA, sucker, it's writing time. Dammit). Anyway, I already can't wait for December to read, hopefully that'll stay around, and I am hopeful it will because stress needs books.

I hope your November is not sapping all of your brain power and energy. Or at least that it's worth it (like NaNo is to me). I hope to see you all in December, hopefully I'm still in one piece.

(Also - apologies for any mistakes, I wrote this in a few minutes and scheduled it, just making sure there were no red squiggles. I honestly did that and laid down to pass out - it's that kind of month, my friends. Maybe I could do a WWW Wednesday to talk about The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves... maybe I'll save it for next week, talking to myself in posts is probably not a sign of sanity).

(You might have seen this accidentally go up after I wrote it - I'm sorry, forgot the scheduling thingy. This is the least... not profession, but maybe sane, post I hope you'll ever see here. Have a good and nice day/night/week/month/year/life).

NaNoWriMo 2014 | Week One

First off, if you don't know what NaNoWriMo is - it's a writing challenge that is to write 50,000 words in a month (November, to be specific). And I've been tweeting and updating my writing tumblr daily.

I meant to do this and post this on the eighth, after the first full week (seven days) of NaNoWriMo - but among all the writing and trying to squeeze reading in, it just completely slipped my mind. It might be a bit late, technically, but I still wanted to do it.

So I posted a picture of my stats on my writing tumblr for every day this week, so I won't post them here as well. However:
Day One (50,210)
Day Two (60,278)
Day Three (67,654)
Day Four (77,870)
Day Five (88,109)
Day Six (101,337)
Day Seven (109,087)

And I did it! I wrote 50,000 words day one. I wrote fifty thousand words on day one. I'm still bewildered and confused and it's a blur of sugar, caffeine, and never ending typing. I'm also ridiculously proud of myself, so there's that.

It's been a good first week - but I haven't made as much progress on one particularly story as I hoped. Still, I can't even be mad at myself because day one was fantastic, and that's the big thing I wanted to do this year. I mean it'd be great to beat last years total, but I know, and have fully accepted, that it isn't going to happen this year.

If you are doing NaNoWriMo - let me know how it's going! Are you keeping on par with your word count? Did you try and squirrel away some extra words for the coming week two blues? (Most people get it, it's like as soon as you hit the 30k's and just splat. If you don't - I salute and envy you!)

I hope you're all doing fantastic. And, if you're behind, keep writing - don't give up. It's only the end of week one, you have time to catch up. And, if you know you won't, keep writing anyway. You could get so much more done by keeping moving forward instead of giving up. I know it's hard and sometimes it's downright awful, but I think it's worth it.

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