Yeah, so, no—I haven’t magically found a way of bending time so that I get to the end of week four with 50k written.

But it’s not all bad :).

I’ve kept the panic at bay through week three and even more importantly (and possibly because I haven’t been panicking) I haven’t got morose about not finding a flow to my words.

Some books are a gift to write.

Other’s are not.

Sod’s law that the book you choose to write for #NaNoWriMo isn’t one of those ones where the words line up to halo dive onto the page, arriving whole, and with such gusto that it’s all you can do to try and keep up.

I did plotting for this book.

I did character bio’s.

I figured out the GMC—internal and external!

And even with knowing I wouldn’t be able to reach 50k by the end of the month, I was READY to start writing November 1st.

And then I got fourteen days in and my word count was low and Hubby’s advice was to write a sex scene to get my word count up, so to speak! And, while this is definitely one way of getting to know your characters and upping the word count at the same time, in this story the attraction is much more slow-burn and so it just didn’t feel right.

I had two choices. I could either swap projects and start writing my next suspense instead and risk that turning out the same way in two weeks time, or I could stick with this one and write forward.

A quick look at my writing schedule for the next twelve months and I knew I needed to stick with this one, so write forward it was.

Filed away in my head are scenes from every story I think up. They’re usually the scenes that won’t let go. They're the ones that tell me I want to write this story—I have to write this story. They’re the scenes that I play with and perfect in my dreams, or standing in line at the bank, or when I’m supposed to be doing my taxes!

So, day fifteen of #NaNoWriMo, I sat down and wrote one of these scenes down. This scene wasn’t what was supposed to happen next in the book. In fact, there’ll probably be at least another 15 000 words inserted before it but it got me writing again. Writing fast and writing the story.

The words weren’t perfect. And by the time I finish the book the scene might have grown, or shrunk, or maybe even have changed POV, but the essence of it will stay.

Sometimes you have to write out of order, because what’s important is getting so into your book that it gets written. It’s too easy otherwise to give up when it gets hard. Too easy to begin project after project and never actually finish one. It’s up to you to find the key to unlocking your inspiration room and then it’s up to you to either prop the door open or lock yourself in until the story is done.

#NaNoWriMo is a fabulous way of keeping the momentum going. Embrace the support of fellow writers and try new ways of writing if you have to.

Do it your way and don’t give up!
Week four, bring it on…

Ahem. Yeah. So, at the halfway mark my word count is supposed to be at: 23, 338

It’s so not even close to that, that I literally can’t talk about it!

Or, can I?

This is all about doing #NaNoWriMo my way after all. I really ought to talk about what it feels like to be not where I’m supposed to be in my word count (even though I’m not supposed to be stressing about that because I knew I had too much to try and fit in this month and so, for me, it was going to be about doing it my way instead.).

I guess though, there’s knowing that and KNOWING that, right?

Because the truth of not being up there with everyone else that's smashing the daily word count, loving their characters’ journey, and coming up with genius ideas for another four books in the series? Well, it kind of utterly stinks.

Because obviously I am secretly under the impression that I’m Superwoman.

Which is mortifying!

Obviously I would much rather secretly want to be under the impression that I’m very grounded, realistic about my limits, and non-competitive (with others, at least).

Because I’m a perfectionist.

This is where being a perfectionist sucks. Instead of sitting down and popping a few words on the page it has you sitting down, putting your hands on the keyboard and…nothing.

And then stressing about the ‘nothing’ for the exact amount of time you had available to write.

And then stressing about the fact that you didn’t write during whatever you are doing next.

And then stressing about the fact that you’re not giving whatever you are doing your full attention.
And so on and so on…

BUT…
This is also where being a perfectionist eventually doesn’t suck!
Because obviously if you’re perfect, you wouldn’t stress.
And so you stop, take a breath, give yourself a slap, possibly imbibe chocolate or alcohol…possibly both and possibly at the same time, before taking another breath and finally figuring out a way to be okay with not hitting the ideal word count, yet still, crucially, progressing your WIP.

Because that’s what doing it my #NanoWriMo way is supposed to be about.

Actually, that is what writing is about every day.

For reals!

It’s about getting out of your own way so that you can tell someone's story.

I'm currently at 11,414 of telling someone's story...here are:

Some of the things I've said to get to this point:
“257 words? Really? That’s all you can churn out? Ooh, if you get up at 6am tomorrow you could fit in the remaining  1410 words and then if you don't watch any TV tonight you could write the next 1667.”

“What am I trying to say in this scene? WHAT AM I TRYING TO SAY????”

“I’ve lost my ‘funny’. This scene is totally unfunny. How can I make it more funny? WHERE’S MY FUNNY???”

“Okay, just write the basics and go back in later and add in the funny. And the sexy. And the PLOT. Ugh. What am I trying to say, again????”

“FFS, the time you’ve spent moaning, over-complicating, and panicking, you could have written 5k stream of consciousness. Get. It. Together.”

'Helpful' things my husband has said during week two:
Hunter-Gatherer: “Have you killed off anyone yet?"
Me: “This one’s a romcom not a suspense.”
Hunter-Gatherer: “Oh. Is there actually a rule though that you can’t kill anyone in a romcom?”
Me: “How would that be romantic? Or comedic?”
Hunter-Gatherer: “Right. Well, have they had sex yet?”
Me: “No.”
Hunter-Gatherer: “There you go then. You’re welcome.”  

Next week find out if that was the scene that kick-started the writing again. And research: the #NaNoWriMo way.

How’s your week two been? Drop me a comment and let me know if you're smashing it or panicking it!

So if you’re into writing, you’ll know that November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), that one crazy month each year where like-minded people get together and support each other while attempting to write a 50k word book.

1667 words a day for thirty days.

I rack-up at least half that word count on social media every day, so…simples, right?

Except, somehow, it doesn’t feel so simple when the words are supposed to enticingly reveal a story from beginning to end.

Even if you’ve written a book before.
And have a plot.
And character bios.
And spreadsheets with scene breakdowns.

Somehow when it’s NaNoWriMo it becomes another beast entirely.

Confession No.1: I’ve never done NaNoWriMo during November before.

November chez Devon sees six family birthdays and my wedding anniversary. Plus, it feels way, way too close to Christmas. If I’m going to spend an entire month hanging about in pj’s, making chocolate the only food group I recognise, and swapping all rational thought for book, book, book, then it’s going to shock the hell out of me to come out the other side and realise that it’s only four weeks to Christmas and I have done NOTHING to prepare for it.

This year though? This year it’s worked out that I’ve done more editing books than writing new ones and so I wanted to get to the end of the year having laid down a few more words. I wanted to have a dirty draft of my new WIP so that I could start 2016 in search of second-draft perfection.

Of course therein lies the rub—I’m not really a dirty draft kind of gal. I’m more of a pour over the words until I’m satisfied kind of gal.

Confession No.2:  The single most important lesson I’ve learnt about writing is being able to adapt.

All creative work takes energy and time. Life doesn’t always leave you with either. But if you can adapt—if you can work in different ways, you might just discover that you can achieve what you wanted in less than perfect circumstances.

So this year I’m NaNoWriMo’ing in November! And I’m doing it my way! Sans strict word count because it’s a truth universally acknowledged amongst fellow NaNoWriMo-ers, that a writer in want of a 50k book, is usually in possession of a stinking cold when November 1st comes around.

Nevertheless, I’m going to try turning off my inner editor and get words down—ugly or not, in the right order or not. Because whatever I achieve come November 30th I can then develop. Because it’s okay if it’s not perfect first time. Because, as Nora Roberts says: You can’t edit a blank page.

So, end of week one NaNoWriMo and is my word count at 11,669? Hell to the No.

Do I care to the point where I’m going to throw my pages out the pram and give up? That would be a negative—at least as soon as I finish my tantrum it will be!

The real treasure of NaNoWriMo is the support from fellow writers and so I’m in for another three weeks of us all doing it in our own butt-in-chair-hands-on-keyboard ways.

Hmm…I see that this post is over five hundred words. I can totally count that towards my daily word-count, right???

Next week: Exactly how far behind I am and the inevitable mental battle that will ensue!

If you’re taking part in NaNoWriMo this year, let me know how you’re getting on in the comments below :).