I completed the NaNoWriMo challenge in 2013, but it wasn’t pretty. My month-long, prosaic journey was a study in perseverance against myself. That November was tough. My output was sporadic and entirely too little, the novel itself often lacked direction and drive, and that final day I was a ghost to everyone around me in an effort to make up for those two things.
But I did it. I completed the challenge. This year I did it again.
My 2014 NaNoWriMo was a much different experience, and I think it’s best summarized in the following graphic comparing 2013’s word count statistics to 2014’s.
I’ve spent 2014 developing a habit of writing, and the much steadier and more consistent graph shows how that work has paid off. I try to fill my early mornings with writing — and I am not a person who enjoys mornings, early or otherwise. However, having a routine made this year’s challenge easier on me and my family.
Although the recommended NaNoWriMo word count was higher than my normal, I had arranged my life to allow writing time, giving it a due time slot. What I was writing (or how quickly) was then just a detail.
The downside to this year’s event is that my novel is still unfinished. From November’s novel push, I went right into working on our 2014 Christmas Card called Familial and haven’t been back. The novel aches in the back of my mind, waiting for the telling.
Thankfully, January is a good month for getting back into habits.