Actually I didn’t need to do that at all. I’m not officially done at 50,070. The counter gave me two extra words that Word didn’t. I’m not that worried though as I didn’t write out things like can not, I am, and all of those. My book naturally ended right then and there too, though I did have to make up some to get it there.
Now I don’t know what to do with it. It is a boring piece of crap, but it’s been in my head for years now. Maybe I should do some basic editing on it and self publish it just so it can sit on my bookshelf. Then one day my kids can read it and be embarrassed that their dad can write such crap.
I think if I do it again next year I’ll do an epic Vogon poem, this way I know there will be at least one novel that’s worse.
Almost every writing group/ book/ site advises to put your draft copy (and that’s all this is) aside for a few weeks /months so you come back to it fresh.
That’s right, even my cat is thwarting me. He just knocked my embroidery off the windowsill and I heard crashes from the dining room. I think he may have taken out a water buffalo in there, but I have my doubts.
Rar. Twelve hours to go. MANY words to write. jsgoddess suggested I aim for 40,000 words, which I think is what I’ll do.
50,153 (by my count. 50668 according to them) but either way - I did it. With almost exactly two hours to spare! And the end of the story was the end of the book!
There’s this thing, you may not have heard of it yet, called NaNoEdMo in March - which I’ve never managed to finish - but it does give you some time and distance between writing and editing.
I also, once, printed mine out and hand bound it, which was fun. And taught me that my bookbinding skills and my writing skills were at about the same level.
Oh og, if I did that then I think I’d have pages backwards, upside down, and sideways. I might try and edit it at some point, and then see about doing the LuLu printing. I only need one copy really, enough to shame my kids when they are old enough. And then when I die they might read it!
Congrats to everyone who finished, or who at least reached their goals.
I did not make it even to 40,000. I’m not too disappointed, though, since this month has been pretty nuts and I started late. I think if I had started on the first, I probably would have made it, since I average about 2,000 words a day.
Oh, well. I’m going to keep plugging away on this novel, since I didn’t get to half the things I had mapped out in my head, and there’s lots of research I need to do to make it remotely believable. I fear the research will mean the loss of Danforth the butler (poor man! I feel quite heartless turning him out), but those are the breaks; he will find other employment.
Nanofimo for you? Yours is exactly the situation it was designed for.
I’m tempted to do it, but I know my first act will be to delete 10-15k of subplots that didn’t work out, which makes the word total too much for a month where I have to catch up with the real world.
Though I’m still working on the MS daily - I have to get it finished to the point where I’m happy to put it aside and work on something else for a while before giving it a proper edit.
I’m leaving a job open in my novel, especially for some poor schmuck who’s been hard done by. Send Danforth along anytime.
Congratulations to all the winners and participants! My sister also did not finish, but has decided to use NaNoWriMo as an example of “ordinary people creating art” for a paper she has to write for her Philosophy of Education class, so she’s pretty happy for what she was able to get out of the experience as well.
Anyone going to any TGIO (Thank God It’s Over) parties? I got an invite in my e-mail, but unfortunately, I am out of town.
