NaNoWriMo: It’s All Right To Take Your Time

We have only one month, 30 days, to write a whole novel of at least 50,000 words. That means at least 1,667 words per day. For many, this sounds like an impossible challenge. For others, they know they can do it, because they’ve done it before. And for a few, it is way too easy and the word count exceeds the 50k limit quickly.

But whether it’s a piece of cake or of rock to you, we all have this tendency of rush and urgency when it comes to NaNoWriMo.

Is anyone out there taking all their time to write their NaNo novel?

Well, this year, I am.

Yes, this year, I’ve decided to take my time, to relax and enjoy every word I type… Am I going nuts? Maybe… not.

Here’s the thing: I did NaNoWriMo for the first time last year. It’s was a little hard to start, because to adopt the habit of writing more than a 1000 words in one day for a 16-year-old girl… it’s not easy. Fortunately, I’m madly in love enough with writing that I did it. I wrote 50,000+ words before November 30 and won the challenge.

Awesome. Now, I’m stuck in it. Forever.

What I mean is that I couldn’t help but try the Camp NaNoWriMo in August, after missing the Script Frenzy in April and the Camp NaNo in June. I knew that I was about to do the November one again anyway, but I couldn’t wait that long. I had another idea I couldn’t wait to put on paper. So I participated in the Camp NaNo August this year.

This second time, I was all energized and had a great start with 4000+ words on day 1! Of course, all the way to the last day wasn’t that smooth and easy, but I won it too in the end.

Now, I’m doing this for the third time in my life already… and as you know, I missed day 1 and started on day 2. I was way under the expected word count. No time for regrets though, I had to look forward and write. So I did, until around day 4-5 when I could finally catch up.

But since then, I was in no rush at all. I kept a slow and steady pace of about 1,667 words per day. I know I could do more because I’m in holidays, but… I didn’t want to. I want to do this in a total relax mode, while writing the minimum, but writing well and writing about the necessities of the plot. I told myself, at least I will reach 50,000 words in the end.

In fact the last two times that I did this NaNo thing, I was over 50,000 words a few days before the last day of the month, but it doesn’t make a difference if I make it to the 50,000th word at the last minute or well before, since in the end I’ll get the same certificate and same satisfaction of having reached the expected word count.

So why try to reach 5,000 words on one day, when you can simple just write 1,667, and then have free time for your friends, the November celebrations… For me, I can have spare time to blog, read other blogs, draw, watch movies…

For writers who are used to write a lot, I’m not against, but for those who are just starting or who easily get stressed… know that it’s not necessary to write way over 1,667 (maybe 1,700?) per day to win in the end.

Don’t rush. Enjoy your writing 🙂

Yes, you can have fun on NaNoWriMo!

Good luck!

An Evil Nymph.

PS: Please, go and check out my latest post on Randomsrc – Just Let Go; It Will Come Back To You.

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