It’s over. 75,000 words later, I have the second novel in my series completed. ‘Resubmitted’ is done! Well, sort of. Now I have to edit the first draft and send the first novel, ‘Erased’, along with ‘Resubmitted’ to a real editor. The third in the series, ‘Accepted‘, will be my next project. I plan on taking a break to let my brain detox and to gain some perspective on what I’ve done.
Nanowrimo, National Novel Writing Month, has given me the opportunity to prove to myself that I could do it. When I first learned about the international challenge, I was truly daunted. Overwhelmed. Awed. I know of authors who write for Harlequin who have intense demands to crank out 55,000 word books over a few weeks time. They are professionals .But me? I had no idea that I had that many words in my head. To ‘win’ Nano, you write 50,000 word in the month of November. I finished at 75.000. Who would have thought it?
It also gave me the opportunity to discipline myself to stay seated at the computer till the project was completed. It gave me a real sense of what it would take to meet a deadline. It allowed me to plunge into my imagination with abandon and see what’s there. The schedule I keep is usually so focused on task completion and meeting the needs of those around me. To have had the time to look into my reservoir of creativity was absolute bliss.
It didn’t come without some sacrifice, however. My quilting projects sat untouched. I only read three books. My housework was down to a minimum but I never missed a meal or a ministry visit to my folks. I kept up my Sunday school lessons, worked out my usual three times a weeks, and kept in touch with all my people by texts or emails. So, I would have to conclude that what I thought was an unreachable goal was actually very attainable once I applied myself daily and kept a positive attitude.
Now that Nano is over, I have new confidence in myself, stronger disciplines, and an appreciation for the world of creativity the Lord allows me to exist within. Could it be I have sold myself short many times in my life by negative thinking which has stopped me before I ever began to try? Unfortunately, I think the answer is yes.
Now that the world has nearly 40,000 more novels, I’m not sure it is lighter from the release of all those words or richer from all that creativity. About 350,000 people signed up but at last viewing it appears that only a percentage actually finished. There is probably a message embedded in those figures, but my brain is still not recovered enough to figure out what that might be. Suffice it to say, a whole lot of folks learned many things about themselves and about their craft. The world may be a better place because of it, and I know mine certainly is for sure.
Next year? Nano? Absolutely!
writechez 