For those who didn't make it

No, I didn't make it. But like you, I have 28k words to my credit that weren't there 30 days ago.

I hit about the same wordcount as I did last year. No, I didn't make it, but NaNoWriMo forces me to write, to keep going, to keep overcoming that damn internal editor. Last year, I didn't finish in time, either, but by the end of December, I had a fully completed 160K novel that I'd been struggling to get OUT for over five years.

This year, I started on the sequel, the second part of the story. I didn't finish, but it is chugging along, and the momentum will carry through December. It will.

I wrote 52,000 words this month. It's just that 14,000 of them were for a story I abandoned on the 13th. And I don't regret it at all.

This was some of the easiest writing in my life. I wrote 14,000 words in a single weekend, and did about 7,000 today (my highest one-day word count). I didn't get to 50k, but I beat last year's 35k and I finished the story, which was the best part - I really felt like I went on a journey with these characters, and felt the payoff. There's a little bit more writing I'll do for it, but for the first time, I have a usable first draft to edit in a few weeks. And this is the longest complete story I've ever written. I discovered a writing program that goes well with my thought process and a routine that works.

This was the single best experience I've had with writing!

2005 / The Rise of a Sorceress, ~21k (FAIL)
2006 / Er...*embarrassed* Gave up in under a week... (EPIC FAIL)
2007 / Modulation & Segue, ~33k
2008 / Song of the Nightengales

so I didn't make it...made it to grand total of about 7200 words...:)

Last year I did so much better and made it to about 32,000...but between homework, school, extracurriculars...it didn't happen this year. I wasn't really excited about my novel, didn't really get into it as much as I could have. But I'm hoping to continue it over the next year and have a plot ready and waiting for me to attempt next year!

Queen Lucy

Because now I finally get to stop caring about word count and fix everything storywise that I haven't yet. And because I wrote for a month I have lots of material to use in this reconstruction.
And because I feel very happy now.

I didn't make it but like everyone else, I created over 30,000 words to create something that did not exist a month ago. I have come further than I ever have before and I surprised myself at how much I could do. Next year I will finish!

I lost, but I still WON!!!

I've had a story in my head for a while now (well, about ten years) and I never managed to write more than 15 pages or so before I decided that I had gotten off on the completely wrong track, trashed it, and months later started over again. This cycle repeated a dozen or so times, and yet somehow the story STILL spun around in my head. It evolved a great deal as I matured (and I probably have a great deal of maturing still to do), but as I gather my own life experiences, I find it becomes easier to write, or at least draw from my life to put anger, fear, frustration into my characters. (In fact, the more stressed out I get at work or with life, the better and more intense I can write!)

So here I am, with a story 42K+ words long, with a semblance of an arc, a story that really has potential. Without NaNo I never would have forced myself to write so much, especially on the days when I felt like it was only drivel coming out. Some of my drivel, it turns out, after I read through it, is not drivel at all! (though some of it is).

I did hit a plateau around 35K for a number of different reasons. Work and night school was one reason, although I made sure to write enough earlier in the month to cover me for that week (week 3). Getting married over TG and entertaining my guests through the end of Nov was another main factor. However, I think I could have still knocked out my words earlier if I hadn't hit a rough patch at the end where I couldn't think of a good way to 1) end the story or 2) tie together particular main scenes. I did try, but my efforts were underwhelming and I did not enjoy forcing myself to write these "explanations" that I didn't like anyway, and that I knew would never make it into the final draft. It is clear to me that the only way to solve the plotting problems I hit at the end--since this is historical fiction--is to do some more research, which I will have plenty of time to do in December, not to just write random things that I know will never fit. I haven't really hit a wall, I just need to change up my methods.

So here I am with a "manuscript" or sorts, or at least the closest I've ever come to one. I had a lot of fun during NaNo and learned a lot about how I write, what kind of writer I am, and I will see you all next year!

~Wendy~

Well, I didn't even come close. I got 4600 and change words. I started on the 18th I believe... and just never was able to turn out much. Wound up writing on a fan fiction story a bit mid week this last week, and then kind of abandoned hope on this story. I've been out of town, and had hoped that the time would have been used writing, but instead, it just never seemed to happen. I'm kind of frustrated by it. But maybe I'll try again next year and maybe go into it Nov 1 with at least a vague idea more than I had this time. Maybe I'll try and finish this one between now and next time. It was never a fully formed story idea, but there were little flickers of ideas that seemed interesting. Just never got close to getting there with it in the time allowed. I don't know. It's been a weird day so, my head isn't really on right still.

Let's see where this one goes...

I admitted it to myself last night about 10 o'clock. I wasn't going to win this year either. This is my fourth year and I still haven't won. I guess I still haven't figured out how to silence my inner editor. I went to bed last night feeling bummed. I REALLY wanted to win this year. I really did. It just seems to take me so LONG to write a measly 500 or 1,000 words.

I'm getting better at this though. This year, I exceeded all previous years by probably 300%. I have a rough plot outline. I have characters who haunt my dreams. I may not LIKE all my characters, but I understand where they are coming from and why they do what they do.

Best of all, this is December 1st and Nanowrimo is officially over BUT I still got up this morning at 5:30, sat down at my computer, and wrote BECAUSE it's what I've been doing most mornings for the last month and I haven't given up yet.

Next year, I'll win. Or maybe I won't. Maybe I never will learn to write faster. Meanwhile, I'll finish up this story and maybe one or two of the others.

Tortoises can win races too, right?

I fell abysmally short. On the other hand, this is the most writing I've done in a long time, and I enjoyed doing it. I will probably continue to do it now if I can just make the time for it instead of going "One day...." which is how I didn't start writing.

I never expected to suddenly organise things around writing, or develop the time management skill so that I could keep on top of everything else in my life. But being happy and upbeat about not being able to do everything is a lot better than letting it get to you.

I'm happy because I know that had I finished my story it still wouldn't have made the 50k goal - instead it might have reached 40 or 45k max. and when I did stop conciously writing it was for good reasons - I think that the three English papers I did instead were the best I've ever written, and unlike a lot of nanoers I didn't spend all of Thanksgiving fretting over getting enough words in. I'm proud that I got as far as I did, and maybe I'll continue with it in 2009, but I know that I made the right decision to stop and focus on my school work. (and Edward Cullen!)

I did make it to about 22 or 23k, not 20.

Let's make 2009 great! <3

I'm really disappointed that I didn't win, but I came pretty close (especially considering that I could not get much in before the 17th, due to some previous commitments), and this is the most fiction I have ever written. I'm amped up for next year and I'm realy sure I can win it next time.

Gutted I didn't win, gutted that I have to wait a whole 'nother year to try it again (unless I go for script frenzy). Gutted because I was just starting to get to know my characters before life got in the way, even if it did brush up my touch typing skills.

But as it did for everyone else on this thread, life got in the way. It was easier in the second to last year of school than it was in the last year of school. Maybe next year I'll have more time? Well, that will be the hope even though I'll be a drunken Uni student most likely.

I'm happy for many reasons:

First, I haven't written fiction since I was a kid. Most of my writing is journaling or creative nonfiction. I found fiction much harder to get into than I thought since my preferred reading material is fiction. Though I had some general ideas, it just wasn't flowing. I actually had to work at it. The fact that I didn't quit still amazes me. There were days (7 to be exact) that I wrote nothing at all and even though I was falling way behind, I still wanted to plug at it.

Also, I learned to stop comparing myself to other writers. I didn't love my story, characters, or anything. I felt rather detached from them, which also made it hard to continue. Reading about how other writers loved their novel made me think that something was wrong with me. When I let that go (being pleased for them but not sorry for myself), I found the process so much more liberating. Okay, I let it mostly go; I'm still a little bit jealous.

My inner critic/editor did rear her big head now and again but overall, I was able to stuff her negativity back into the closet without too much trouble. That's a huge feat for me and one that I'm especially proud of.

Lastly, while I wanted to hit the 50K mark, I told myself that I wouldn't let it define me as a writer. I am a writer. Whether good or bad, I am a writer. Whether I love, hate, or feel ambivalent about my work, I am still a writer. And I realize that I want to continue writing for as long as I can. I'm already looking forward to next year.

So, to everyone out there, WRITE ON!!!

i didn't make it, but this is my first year, and i'm glad i tried it.
NaNo motivated me to write every day, even if it was a limited amount of words (due to school and homework, mostly). Before this, i had so many ideas floating around in my mind, but i lacked the drive to write them down.
and i plan on finishing my story some time this December.
(:

Yeah I'm four for four losses now, but every year I do NaNo (I took a break from it last year) I get closer to winning and as long as I continue to do so I will be happy with my performance.

At the end of the day this year I used NaNo as a way to get myself motivated back into writing because I'd signed up for another writing challenge and not yet done much for it. I'd somehow lost my way with regards to motivation and reasons why I ever thought I could do it in the first place. NaNo gave me the kick up the a*** I needed and proved that I could write a story if I wanted to and that all the excuses I'd used since signing up for the other challenge were null and void when I seriously put my mind to it.

Now to finish that other challenge!

... If I can stay away from the NaNo boards :D.

This was my first year and I started late so I never expected to make it. Plus I had a million other things on my plate, including a five month old boy and school. But it still really motivated me to write more than I ever have. I just wish it was more than once a year so I could have even more motivation to push my butt into gear.

I didn't make it, but I am above the 10,000 word mark ( forgot to update before the update was shut off) and I have a plausible outline. Now, I am armed with the knowledge that I have the determination to write a novel and I'm finally doing something that I have always dreamed of doing. Thanks NaNoWriMo!

Yeah I lost, but I got closer than any Nano I've ever done before.

So I take that as a wonderful sign, AND I still really like this story, so I want to keep going. So yay me. And yay everyone else.

I really lost. -pokes the 3574-
But I plan on continuing it. ^^

Umm... My word count isn't even worth laughing at.

Oi, it was just problem after problem (working as a college tour guide, completing course assignments, studying for tests, working for money, maintaining my role in other extra-curricular activities...) Good grief, College wasn't anywhere near this rough before November!

I still like my story concept, but I don't like how I began to force events just to move the plot along. However, I don't think I'll ever pick up with this story ever again (or at least not for a long time... like at least 5 yrs).

I fell short, but realized that I didn't have that great of a plan anyway. Now I know that for next year, I really should choose a story idea now and plan it out extensively. I'm still determined also to prove that I can write mainstream fiction and not just fantasy/sci fi.

Didn't make it this year either. In fact, ended off around1/3 of where I got the first year I tried.

But alot of things happened - like my dog getting sick - that put Nano on the backburner. But I still have every intention of finishing my novel. And coming back to participate next year!

____________________________________________________________

In Defense of the Netherrealm
Because it's always invading in fantasy novels, so someone has to write the reverse story.

I didn't even get close to making it, but thats OK, because what I did do with the time was expand the story in my head so that it will be better when I get around to actually putting it to paper

I didn't make it. However, I learned a lot about my story in the mean time. Characters that were going to be good turned out to be evil and conniving. Characters that were going to have a major part ended up taking a back burner or haven't even be introduced. I started out writing 17,000 some words of crap, then restarted, and loved my novel. My initial plan was to attempt to write 'creatively' and 'think outside the box'. I'm glad I threw it away and started on this much, much better attempt. And, hey, I'm still writing it and having a lot of fun writing it. To my surprise, taking my time and enjoying what I'm writing is making me write faster during December than I had in November. Doesn't that just figure?