NaNoWriMo is easily one of my favorite writing events. I was even a Municipal Liaison for my region for a few years. If you don’t know, NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month and takes place every November. In the month, writers race to write 50k.
During April and July, the program runs CampNaNo, a more flexible program where writers can choose their goals. I usually use camps for some form of revision, since that’s usually where I find myself.
This month, I’m ripping apart my magical festival romantasy and putting it back together, with a goal of bringing it from 40k to 80k in the process. So, let’s talk about week 1.
Embracing the Unexpected
I will say that no matter whether I’m working during Camp or regular NaNoWriMo, there are always surprises. This week was no different. Originally, I was working linearly, moving through the draft and revising as I went. I was working on Act 2a, approaching the midpoint.
A couple weeks ago, I sent the revision of Act 1 to one of my CPs (Critique Partners). When I received his feedback, I pivoted to return to those first pages again. A lot of the revelations/decisions that came from those feedback heavily influence the later portions of the book, and I decided in this case, it’s best to go work them in now.
Now, I don’t usually work that way. Otherwise, I’d be revising page one until I die. I usually finish a draft, then go back and work in the details. But again, this feedback needed to be worked in now so I could weave it through the rest of the book.
Writing is so personal that I try to find what’s working best for each story.
Unconventional Writing Sprints
Part of what I love about NaNoWriMo in general is the camaraderie. There are always other writers in my Discord groups doing the program, so it’s nice to find others to write with, sprint with, and commiserate.
I didn’t do many sprints this time—they don’t work as well for me in revision—but I did a few and I managed to knock out the last few chapters in Act 2a before I pivoted back to the beginning.
Celebrating Small Victories: Word Count Milestones
If you haven’t noticed, I managed to finish revising four chapters in Act 2A and three chapters in Act 1. It may not seem like much, but that was a lot of legwork for me to prep to move into the last half of the book. This week, I will finish those first chapters in Act 1 (there are four) then move on to revising Act 2b while I wait for my CP’s feedback on Act 2a.
Moving to Week 2
Overall, I’m very happy with my progress this last week. I’m really feeling positive that I can get through the manuscript this month—if nothing major happens, of course—and get the book out to betas at the beginning of August. From there, I plan to do another round of (hopefully) smaller revisions and then line edits before hopping back into the query trenches.
If you haven’t tried NaNoWriMo, I really encourage you to give it a go. It’s a ton of fun, and, if nothing else, it can be a great challenge. Come back next week for my Week 2 recap!