Hello, December – Goodbye, Nano!

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

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Where did November go, people? Don’t get me wrong, I am happy – but a little surprised – that December is already here. You see, I’ve been busy: for the first time, I have successfully completed the National Novel Writing Month Challenge, and I did it two days before the end-of-the-month deadline.

Was it difficult to write 50 thousand words in 28 days, you may ask?

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What do you think?

After sitting still for so long, it was wonderful to have the freedom to get up and move around again. But I have to confess: I felt a tad wobbly at first.

This is how I walked Friday evening when I finished:

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Arthritis? What arthritis?

Joking aside, I am super happy I took on the challenge, and would recommend Nanowrimo to anyone who wants to see results in a short period of time. It is an effective way to kick procrastination and writer’s block to the curb, especially if you have a writing buddy who is as determined as you are. Wendy kept me accountable, and we both finished with days to spare.

So now I have a first draft of the Calmer Girls sequel, minus a couple of concluding chapters that I will finish this month. Those chapters, along with the additions that will go in when I begin editing in January, should bring the word count up to 70 thousand plus.

The Nano website suggested I treat myself to a T-shirt showing off their logo, but I did better than that. Being Black Friday, I got Santa to order me a new camera online for Christmas, saving himself over $200 in the process.

This is me now:

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A new camera for my blog! Yes!!!

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Did you take part in Nanowrimo this year?

Have you ever challenged yourself with a creative deadline and won?

Please share your experience with me. 🙂

33 thoughts on “Hello, December – Goodbye, Nano!”

    1. How sweet of you to say that, Caitlin. Deserving to be published or not, I am looking at it as a productive and creative accomplishment, and another step in my writerly life. Thanks for your support. 🙂

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  5. Congrats on finishing! I think you’d messaged me at one point, going back and forth on the idea of doing it – bravo! I unfortunately did not finish but I was able to subscribe to Scrivener and start organizing my thoughts into something tangible so I do still feel somewhat accomplished. I’m definitely not planning on stopping just because November is over with. Congrats again on completion. That’s gotta feel great!

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  6. Wow – 50,000 words – that’s amazing Jennifer! I’m so proud of you, congratulations! It sure does expedite the novel writing process. Any word on your first book yet?
    Diana xo

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  11. Many congratulations to you! You are my inspiration to at least try next time. I am so afraid of failing. Now I understand that it just the doing it that makes you a winner.

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    1. Thanks, Patty. You have to forget your fear when you go for it next year (hey, that rhymes!).

      Seriously, the best pieces of advice I can give are as follows:

      1. Get the story down without going back to edit anything. Plenty of time for that when November ends.

      2. If you feel stuck in a certain area, skip ahead to a scene you think you can write, and come back to the blank part when you’re done with the rest.

      3. If you still feel stuck on that part, simply right anything. I found when I did that, something always came to me. It was like magic. 🙂

      4. Well-developed characters help immensely with the plot. When I write, my characters truly seem to have minds of their own, and tell ME what to write.

      Hope this helps. 🙂

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  12. Congratulations on finishing the challenge… 🙂 I am so lazy that I can never finish off anything on time..so its better for me to stay away from such challenges. But in a tiny winy corner of my heart I do wish to participate in Nanowrimo someday… hopefully!!!

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  13. Jennifer, I love the videos you posted here–perfect. Congratulations on finishing and getting a new camera as a reward. Can’t wait to see more Newfoundland vistas. You’re such an awesome writing buddy, and ain’t it great to feel your feet on the ground again?

    Blessings on your Calmer Girl books ~ Wendy ❀

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    1. The walking cat cracks me up!
      Wendy, you are awesome too. Can you imagine if one of us dropped the Nano ball, how that would have made the other one feel? Thankfully, we persevered, and I would like to think we are better writers for the experience.
      I wish you all the best with your books as well. ❤

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  14. Congrats on finishing! That’s certainly an accomplishment. I don’t participate in NaNo because November is always such a busy time for me, this year especially. Lots of travel. But I think the concept is good. Anything that helps get the words down on paper is good. 🙂

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    1. Carrie, I had doubts going in, but no more. Somehow, the words and ideas kept flowing for the entire month, I suppose because of the perceived accountability and my commitment to the project.
      I didn’t outline this time around, beyond a beginning and an end in mind, and now I swear by it.
      Thank you for your support! 🙂

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