NaNo 2019: Highlights + What I Learned

Happy December, friends. <3

Remember this post, all about my NaNo plans? Well, here's the update. Brace yourselves... this is rambly and excited. XD

I was at almost 26k when NaNo began. I was unable to write Friday because I was at a pastors' conference, but I caught up later. To win NaNo, you have to write about 1,667 words a day. I decided to round up and write 1,670 words a day. Since there were a few days where I forgot to make how much I'd written on a given day, I'm not sure of my average, but I usually passed 1,700 words a day. (Sundays I didn't write, so I doubled up on Saturdays--3,340 was my goal but I usually hit far over that.) 

Highlights ~

// Hitting 30,000 words in Broken on November 4.... and dreaming of hitting 50k. 

// Hoping to write 5,000 words on November 9 for #DoubleUpDay... then 6,680... I hit 6,707. THAT WAS AMAZING. That was also the day I wrote in our library for the first time. And the day I passed 21k in NaNo. And the day I passed 45k in Broken. So yeah, it was a good day. XD

// I was in a sprinting chat with several authors and really enjoyed sprinting with them and with my writing club!

 

// Reaching 50k in Broken on November 13th. And passing 1/3 of the way through NaNo. And writing this post the next day. And hoping to reach 60k in Broken. Also hoping I would be able to finish it that month.

 

// Getting SO much help with the police/legal stuff and the paramedic stuff from my bookstagram followers and friends and from my writing club. Couldn't have done it without them!!

// Writing the suicide scene and having a friend reply very emotionally... touched by my sentence about "act, don't just say"... and being touched myself by it.

 

// Having Jesseca read my suicide scene and giving me feedback. And having Ryana Lynn, Annalissa, & Hannah help me many many times to brainstorm and figure out plot problems or character problems, and to give me feedback on many scenes. They were such a blessing. <3

 

// Writing all about my experience at the pastors' conference into Broken. That was just so FUN.

// Hitting 60k in Broken on November 19. And hitting 100 pages!!

// Sharing a snippet and having a friend tell me it was so realistic she could put herself in his situation... and going on to tell me what a good writer I was. Just when I was thinking how poorly was written. <33

// Realizing how much time it takes to write 1,670 words... and 3,340. I started to really love the number 1,000. XD

  

// Writing the salvation scene while listening to my hymns playlist and having "Just As I Am" come on... and then "And Can it Be" (which comes up earlier in the book).

// Almost tearing up more than once while writing the salvation scene... I never got so emotional over writing before!!

// Having God use my writing to make me stop & do my devotions.

// Writing a conversation with texts for the first time!! I love it!!

// Having my married couple totally melt my heart.

// Reaching 40k in NaNo on November 21!

// Writing about a six-month-old baby. My heart. <33 I melted. And wanted a baby in our house again. <33

// Getting a new wallpaper on my phone in honour of Broken.

// Passing 70k in Broken. REACHING MY ULTIMATE GOAL.

 

// Getting emotional over my poor Nathan. <33 And writing the bullying scene. Idk why. It was just cool to write.

// Finishing NaNo on November 26. I was sooooooo excited and happy. I DID NANO. LIKE WOW. I'VE WANTED TO DO THAT FOREVER AND NEVER THOUGHT I'D EVER DO IT. And on the same day... writing the epilogue and FINISHING Broken.

// Editing all week after that. XD Writing my dedication. Trying to write chapter titles. Formatting.

It was a great month. Amazingly busy, stressful, emotional, teaching, and happy. 

Things I Learned ~ 

• One Thursday I reached my goal for the day and wrote something I really really liked. Then I went on the Olive Tree Bible App for a verse and it messed everything up--the computer froze. Finally I restarted the computer... and when I opened it again, I was devastated to find that the best part of what I'd written had been lost. I was furious and very upset. I vented to my friends and family for a while, then sat down and rewrote it all. And I didn't think of it again. Well, some time later I opened the computer and opened my documents... and that lost document appeared out of nowhere. I was so happy!! I was able to compare the two versions and combine the best parts. They were almost freakily similar! 

Anyhow, that taught me that rewriting is not bad, losing words isn't the end of the world, the lost words may come back, and not to give way tony temper and lose time! XP 

• I can write big books. I can write big themes. It takes work. It takes dedication. It's hard. But I can do it and  it is so, so worth it. 
• If God gives you a story to write, He will help you through all the difficulties & give you people to help you do it. 
• Surrendering to God is the best thing you can do. Because He blesses and honours those who so... and because He gives you the desires of your heart because your desires are His.
• Perseverance, dedication, & hard work pay off & are worth it. 
• Sacrifices to do something you really want to do are worth it. 
• You lose a lot of time in a day if you're not careful! 
• Do the big things of your day first so you don't have to stress. ;) 

Basically, I think I just learned everyday, commonsensical things this November... things that I needed to be reminded of. And my laziness got a big jog... I learned that I really need to be willing to work and that it's super worth it. :)

~ / / ~

So if you did NaNoWriMo... how did it go for you?? :)