The title isn't clickbait. I failed to reach the goal of 50,000 words by the end of November. I know exactly where I went wrong and I thought I should tell you all about it. If you've no idea what I am talking about I suggest reading my last blog post 'NaNoWriMo 2021' here.
I'm not writing a pity post but rather a reflection. Using my copywriting experience might have helped me be better prepared for NaNo. I wasn't focused and didn't give myself any direction on what I was working on. I should have approached this the same way I would client work.
Next time, I will do these things differently:
- Create a plan for the piece I'll be working on.
- Don't just decide to partake last minute (or the first day)
- Set aside the time to write
- Set daily achievable goals
- Most importantly: have fun!
As it was my first time participating in NaNo I was overwhelmed quite quickly. For the first seven days, I wrote every day, but a week and a half into November and this wore off.
In total, I managed to write 8000 words before I abandoned the whole thing. Why did I stop? I was no longer interested in what I was writing. As it was something I was just writing on the spot, so inevitably I fell out of love with it quickly. I probably should've focused on one of the novels I already had planned out, but at least I now know for next time.
For NaNoWriMo 2022, I want to have a plan ready before I begin. I think by being more prepared and actually having a structure and schedule for my creative writing will more likely help me to succeed. I am glad I tried this year, I have learned a valuable lesson. Preparation is key.
