Monday, November 22, 2010

I'm a Loser

It's not going to happen. I'm not going to win NaNoWriMo.

Again.

I don't know why I thought it would be possible with a two-week vacation to Florida in November. I only just hit 4,600 words this afternoon. I should be close to 40,000 now.

Oh well.

But I'm not to give up on the novel. Even though sometimes I think the story drags and I should just give up because I suck at writing, sometimes there is a little flash of a good scene. So I just keep reminding myself that this is just a first draft. A starting point. Besides, I know I'm a rewriter. That's when it's the most fun. First drafts blow.

9 comments:

  1. Question: Would you have had that 4600 words if you had not taken part. I don't see you as 55,400 words behind, but nearly 5000 words ahead and if you keep going for the remaining 8 days how many more words will you have.

    Remember, these don't have to be good words, just words. Since you aren't going to "win" see that as freedom to be wild and crazy. Depart from your outline. Combine Characters or split them apart, put them in horrifically stupid situations play with them. Then go back in December NanoFiMo (national novel finishing month, yes there is one and a twitter hashtag and a site) and tear out stuff and finish up your novel.

    If you write anything, you are a winner regardless of what the Nano gods say.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is why I love blogs. Thank you, Terri!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aw, sorry to hear nano isn't going as well as you'd hoped. You had such a busy month though, I think you need to cut yourself some slack & appreciate what you did get done. You're 4600 words ahead of where you started.

    After I read your blog, I read this post http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-your-holiday-plan.html
    and thought it was a good one.

    Good luck with the rest of nano... and remember, it's not like you were going to finish the month out and send your book out to the publishers. There was always going to be work left to do. Sometimes it's better to slow down and get it all out coherently. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Repeat after me:

    I am a writer. I am a writer. I AM a writer.

    Kerrie, just found this little gem of a blog after jumping over from your M vs. M work. Sooo glad I found this one! :) Hope you read my comment THERE and will send me your snail mail address. Now more than ever, I'm convinced it was karma when I found this little gift for you (and for me...we EACH got one!).

    I love Terri's positive comment above. And I agree with her. Your glass was half-full that day. Didn't realize you were in FL. (I've been out of bloggy land for a while)... Hoping we'll get to hang out one of these days. For now, sending good writing vibes your way. I've been thinking about a redesign of my Turtles blog that will incorporate my other interests.... still not sure I can pull off such a revision. Already (back to) writing on my food blog (again... missed it!), and on my Own Your Journey Project.

    I.Am.a.Writer.

    *hugs* from Orlando!

    ReplyDelete
  5. p.s. ~ the last part (I am) was YOU.

    You.Are.a.Writer. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I didn't finish, either, but I sure learned a lot--and I AM still a writer that will participate in NaNo 2011 with a new novel because I will finish my 2010 NaNo novel between now and 11/1/11...you can too--it's one word at a time until there is a sentence, then sentence after sentence makes a paragraph...a few of those make a page and once I string a few pages together, voila! I have a chapter LOL...

    keep on writing ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. you are invited to follow my blog

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Kerrie. So glad you commented today because I love that I found you...maybe I've found you before but it is easy to forget. Love that you are into running and writing. I am excited to keep reading your blogs...Writing is important to me and I need to keep telling myself to keep doing what I love and know that I am good at and the rest will fall into place when it is ready. I get so discouraged by the big world and all the loopholes and road blocks that make things seem harder than they are. Keep on keeping on!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Can't wait to check out all the links you have on your sidebar...especially rules for Aspiring Children's book Authors...I have been working on a story with my mom (she's an artist and did all the illustrations) but I have been stuck seeing the big pictures instead of breaking it up a bit. I'm presenting at the Oregon Writing Festival next month and I hope to use the illustrations to get some feedback from the youngest of writers. :) Not really my first choice of genre to write in.

    ReplyDelete

Write something. Anything.