November 7, 2008

According to Chris Baty, the founder of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Week One tended to include giddy feelings of anticipation. (Was this going to be the best book I ever wrote?) Shortly into the week, he cautioned that I might be plagued with an equally compelling, but opposite, question. (Was this going to be worst book ever written?)

My week, unfortunately, was plagued by a third question… “Can I write the chapters on four hours or less sleep per night?”

Before the first week of NaNo, I had alerted all family members that I would be going to bed early, getting up early to run, eating healthy, and then heading to the computer. Did that happen? No.

Some editing work I do requires an Internet connection. The day before NaNo started, the Internet on both computers went bad. Sluggish doesn’t describe it. It took four HOURS to load my blog on Friday. (I did reading and NaNo writing on another computer while waiting.)

I talked to DSL/phone tech guys, Microsoft tech guys, anti-virus tech guys… It took nearly twenty hours to clean out both computers, re-install programs, update software, and change from Internet Explorer to Foxfire. I managed to write in fits and spurts, but was denied the pleasure for several days of being able to log on and record my numbers at the NaNo site or read any badly needed pep talks from the message boards.

I had planned to write 2,000 words each day M-Sat, and then rest on Sundays. There are five Sundays in November! We’ve had one so far. Was it restful? Not so you’d notice.

I worked on Internet problems from 4 a.m. till we left at 7 a.m. to go teach Sunday school to the basic trainees. At noon we went to the air show, where I dozed in my lounge chair despite the ear-splitting noise of the Blue Angels and Tora! Tora! Tora! directly overhead. That night, hubby ate his frozen pizza while I again tackled the Internet issues till midnight.

Monday morning I summoned everything I could remember that I’d ever read about persistence and not giving up. Was I tempted? You bet. Was I sorry I’d announced in the blog that I was doing NaNoWriMo this year? YES. But I was also glad because I knew I’d keep going rather than face quitting publicly. The power of accountability! I was thankful that this year I had created a novel outline. Even when I am creatively brain dead, I can read an outline.

Did I get any writing done this week? YES—11,674 words. Was it the fun, creative, restful, energetic week I had pictured? NO. But the writing got done. And from what I can tell, it’s not bad for a rough draft.

As Chris Baty warned us, we aren’t supposed to judge our NaNo novel by the “sparkle of our prose” or the “rock-solid genius” of our plot. No, we simply write, getting the words down on the screen, leaving the judgmental inner editor snoozing on the sidelines.

The computers are now both functioning. The kinks in my neck are working out. I’m looking forward to Week Two.

10 Comments »

1. 

   Wow Kristi! It sounds like you have had one horrible week. Congratulations on getting as much writing done as you did! Maybe week two will work out better!

   Comment by Stina Rose — November 7, 2008 @ 8:00 pm

2. 

   Thanks, Stina! I’m sure it will go smoother. I have to admit, though, those late nights made me long for the “good old days” of my typewriter and pencil and legal pad. I love computers–when they work right!
   Kristi

   Comment by wpadmin — November 7, 2008 @ 10:46 pm

3. 

   Kristi, if you’ve written nearly 12,000 words in a week like you’ve just had, you deserve a huge medal already! You are so right about outlines – they are like a safety net. And accountability is a prime motivator. Keep going!

   Comment by Sherryl — November 8, 2008 @ 11:23 pm

4. 

   Thanks, Sherryl! Yes, the outline saved my hide this week. Looking ahead, I see that the middle part is murky though! I do outline more in the opening chapters since so much has to be included in a book opening. But hopefully this week will include more sleep, so the murky middle will clear up as I proceed.
   Kristi

   Comment by wpadmin — November 9, 2008 @ 12:29 pm

5. 

   Woo-hoo!
   Go NaNoWriMo!
   And good luck with that pesky computer- that sort of thing is why I married a Genius Nerd.

   P.S. My NaNoWriMo number is 438687 if you want to add me as a writing buddy!

   Comment by Avily Jerome — November 10, 2008 @ 7:59 pm

6. 

   Hurrah for genius nerds, bless their souls! I wish I was one myself. I will look for you in NaNo! I had a much better writing day today.
   Kristi

   Comment by wpadmin — November 10, 2008 @ 9:43 pm

7. 

   Surviving Week One is tough. Surviving Week Two is even harder. I hope you’re ready for this one.

   My novel is horrible, but I only have 23 days to write it. (I’ll be moving and on the road the last week.) But since I know it’s awful, I’m letting myself have permission to experiment in other genres, switching around at will. So much fun! Gotta love November.

   Comment by Alice — November 10, 2008 @ 10:16 pm

8. 

   So far, Alice, Week Two has been a breeze compared to last week. I still have a stiff neck from the ext 40 hours at the computer fixing junk, but I’m enjoying the rest of it. Wow–23 days to do 50,000? Go for it!
   Kristi

   Comment by wpadmin — November 11, 2008 @ 9:46 pm

9. 

   I’m sorry, but when I read about the computer problems I burst out laughing. I’ve been there; we’ve all been there. And they ALWAYS happen at the worst possible moment. A few weeks ago I was suppose to start a free writing course – the first I’ve taken in decades – and the cable internet goes out the day before…for four days. Bye bye writing course. I almost considered signing up for NaNoWriMo this year and didn’t. Sometimes it just isn’t the “write” time. Glad to hear you did get as much done as you did.

   Comment by writeroffthelake — November 11, 2008 @ 11:32 pm

10. 

    Writeroffthelake, feel free to laugh. As my youngest daughter always said at times like these, “Well, Mom, you can either laugh or go crazy.” Sometimes that’s the only choice we are given! The timing is unreal sometimes though, isn’t it? Obviously you’ve experienced the same thing! I’m sorry you missed your writing course. Maybe next time?!
    Kristi

    Comment by wpadmin — November 12, 2008 @ 12:52 am

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