Well I won, with 4 hours to spare. My book is nowhere near done anyhow and I need to take a study break and cram a whole month of studies into a week. (I have a Japanese exam next Sunday.)
Anyhow, whether or not you won, what did you learn from doing Nano.
Lessons I learned:
1. Anything really is possible
2. Sometimes a dream is not absolute madness no matter how many people laugh at you
3. When you think you can't go on, you're probably wrong
4. Life is so much better when you're doing something you love.
Things I learned about myself:
1. I am capable of completing something (I am the master of things half-done, I know technically I still have to finsih the novel, but I finished Nano, which in itself is a huge accomplishment.)
2. There are stories only I can tell and other people want to hear them!
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Nano 08: Urban Legends:
It's not hard to walk the right path. Just turn around.
12,049 / 50,000
Nov 30, 2008 - 21 42
I only wrote 12k words but since I'm not much of a dedicated writer to a story [I give up after the first few chapters] this is actually a great accomplishment for me.
I lost interest with my story after I hit 8k but what I learned is that even if the words aren't flowing all that well, I can still write and eventually hit my 'word zone'. =]
56,338 / 50,000
Nov 30, 2008 - 21 59
I learnt a lot about myself actually. This was my first year and I didn't even think I'd hit 10k. It gave me the biggest ego-boost I could have ever asked for (at a time when I really needed it). But in particular I learnt these 3 things...
1. I can actually accomplish something if I apply myself (heh I dont think I"ve ever completed anything before :p)
2. If I love it, it's not a chore
3. I NEED to be doing this for the rest of my life in some way or another :)
50,090 / 50,000
Nov 30, 2008 - 22 04
1. It doesn't matter how many times you say "Failure is not an option". It IS and option, and a very tangible, tempting option.
2. You don't find your will until you find your 'won't'
3. That temptations are just that, you don't have to heed them. *cough*social interaction*cough*
4. That humans on a whole are capable of existing for long periods of time with little to no sleep.
Things I learned about myself:
1. That I am not one of those humans. I found my point of complete physical and mental exertion. No sleep and all write for three days in succession is my hard fast limit. The last night is heck.
2. That I am capable of finishing something. Not just knowing I COULD, potentially write a 50k, but prove it to myself.
3. That I am no longer the one who falls/rolls/jumps of the wagon when the road gets to bumpy to sleep (a really accurate analogy actually! HAHA!) I am NOT the weakest link by golly!
4. And finally. That I am a novelist. At fourteen, whether it goes anywhere, I have made a start to a novel, and I've written more in one month than I have in my entire life. I have taken something inexistant, and created something great. 50k's worth at that! =O
50,056 / 50,000
Nov 30, 2008 - 22 28
I learned several things:
1. I can type faster than I thought
2. How to sign words (though it's hard to type and watch a sign language video at the same time)
3. I CAN indeed finish a story, and all my excuses are lame.
4. The story is never over, not even when you thought you already wrote the end (and a good thing too for my word count!)
5. Once I start on a story, I do not 'run out' of creative juices. Writer's block did not exist, just poor planning. Once I got going, I got going!
50,011 / 50,000
Nov 30, 2008 - 22 32
I learned that if you tie your inner editor to a chair and gag him/her properly, you can write a story in peace.
Ive learned that I can accomplish anything.
and that nano rocks!!!
27,144 / 50,000
Nov 30, 2008 - 22 42
I learned much about the world in which I wrote. Failure shall not deter me in the least.
50,221 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 01 49
3. I NEED to be doing this for the rest of my life in some way or another :)
+ 50K. lol.
When I was a kid (up until about 10), I wanted to be a writer, then I got older and got real. Now I remember what it's like to do something you really love. I need to finish this book and get it published and become a Nano Success story and be happy as a lark for the rest of my life!
Congrats to all who won, and to all who kept at it.
Nano 08: Urban Legends:
It's not hard to walk the right path. Just turn around.
50,221 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 01 49
3. I NEED to be doing this for the rest of my life in some way or another :)
+ 50K. lol.
When I was a kid (up until about 10), I wanted to be a writer, then I got older and got real. Now I remember what it's like to do something you really love. I need to finish this book and get it published and become a Nano Success story and be happy as a lark for the rest of my life!
Congrats to all who won, and to all who kept at it.
Nano 08: Urban Legends:
It's not hard to walk the right path. Just turn around.
50,060 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 08 38
I learned that I can write a damned good story. And that throwing worries about perfection out the window and letting your creative self speak unimpeded can produce something magical.
51,050 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 09 43
I learned I could start something from nothing and make it something great. I really surprised myself, I never intended to finish when I signed up. I am glad I did because it was a great experience getting to form characters and my own little world. :)
75,853 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 10 16
I learned that writing is a lot like running cross-country:
1) No matter how hard it gets, if people are watching or even know that you're doing it, you can't stop and leave the course.
2) After typing long enough, your arms fingers can begin to feel as rubbery as your legs and feet after running 3 miles.
3) It's always easier if you have a pacer to set the pace for you because you shoud never run alone nor should you type alone because it's really easy to lose your groove if you're all by yourself.
52,447 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 13 37
1. The OBVIOUS one. I am more than capable of writing a craptastic novel in a month.
2. I learned that if I want something bad enough I am more than capable of working my behind off to get it. Dreams are attainable for me if I really set my mind to it, and I'm quite pleased by this discovery. NaNoWriMo has deffinitely given me more self confidence.
3. It is possible for me to survive on 5-6 hours sleep a night for a month. This could be useful information when I get to college/university.
4. I am quite stubborn when it comes to quitting things. If I start something I gosh darn finish it! (However much I begged myself to stop doing this, that I had better, more constructive things to do with my time, some part of me wouldn't allow myself to quit.)
5. I love to write. I'd forgotten how much I love to write stories. When I was younger I dreamed of being an author and wrote little stories all the time - now I'm realising that I haven't quite grown out of it yet.
6. I can stick to a shedual. I was surprised about that one - normally if I make a timetable/revision plan I give up on it after a couple of days when I lose interest. This is no longer an excuse for me anymore seeing as I wrote atleast 1,000 words a day for 30 days. I'll have to find a new excuse to avoid revision.
7. and finally... I am TOTALLY doing this next year!!!
50,452 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 14 49
I finished yesterday at about 1:30 in the afternoon and proceeded to worry about adding more words to my completed novel. "Shakes head" I am such a nerd. Anyway, here are some things I learned from this first month of noveling.
1-I want to write for a living. I kind of already knew that, but this November reaffirmed it.
2-I can write a novel! It is possible!
3-My grades slip when decide to stop paying attention in school and just take notes in auto-pilot mod
4-Next year, I shouldn't buy any new books during NaNo.
Ah! It was so great and I am so sad, but right now, I just want to sleep.
50,594 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 15 38
I learned alot.
1. My family is NOT above cheating the word counter to win, even if I try to be.
2. If I get in the groove it is possible for me to type longer then an hour and still do well. =D
3. Luanching in with out a plan is the best way to start a novel, but the worst way to finish one.
4. If I set my mind to it I really CAN meet a goal, even if it's by the skin of my teeth and with barely any time left.
5. It's harder to return to a normal sleeping schedule then I thought....
16,278 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 16 22
I learned:
If I put enough effort in I can actually start writing a novel and get somewhere with it (I start, but then it gets boring, so I start a new one...)
Grandma's is an inspiring place to write!
It's weirdly refreshing to write your word count on the board of your classroom and have your classmates ask "Hey--what're you doing? 16,000 words for what?
50,736 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 18 02
The thought of writing three papers for school tomorrow doesn't even phase me out anymore.
Three to five pages: hah!
My grades have sunk, a few friendships faded.
My confidence has risen though. :)
50,008 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 18 28
Lessons I learned:
-The only thing holding me back was myself.
-Sometimes, it is okay to grow down for awhile and do stupid, crazy, insane things that you always dreamed of but would never let yourself do because you were 'too old'.
-It hurts way more to have your parents (in all honesty) tell you that you are not going to finish in time than it does for your friends to.
Things about myself:
-I had forgotten how much I truly love writing. I am not sure at this point if I want to be an author to earn my living, but the idea has definitely super glued itself to the back of my head.
-I work best on close deadlines. Actually, I work terrifically on close deadlines! *points to graph*
-My grades? They IMPORVED during this month! *headdesk*
-While at swim practice is the best time for me to think. It is just me, the water, and the stroke. Nothing more, nothing less.
-I can deal with pressure a lot better than I had thought.
-Yes, the songs on the radio are some of my favorite. But no, I cannot write to them.
-Reverse psychology really works on me. I need to remember this for next year.
-My sentences have the annoying habit of starting with the word 'I'.
58,159 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 22 59
Lessons I learned:
1. 50,000 words isn't all that much.
2. You don't need to cheat to get there. Really.
3. If you love what you're doing you'll enjoy it no matter how grueling it might seem.
4. It isn't all about your word count. Really.
5. Reading is essential. Don't forget that other books exist (even ones that aren't textbooks).
Things I learned about myself:
1. I can write without a plan. I sat down at the beginning of the month, started writing, and loved every word until I hit 36,000. When I picked my novel up again twelve days later, I continued right where I left off without skipping around. I've always written with a plan and hated it it, but it felt necessary.
2. Pausing isn't the same as quitting. I lost nearly two weeks and still hit 50,000 early -- almost a week early, actually. When I wrote I wrote like crazy, kept using contractions, used one-word names, and never resorted to cutting and pasting lyrics, poems, dreams, or anecdotes.
3. Putting the words together is easy for me. Editing is the hard part.
4. My story will never be perfect. Well, I'll never think it is. That doesn't mean that I have to settle for a mediocre product -- it means that I can keep writing without worrying about a lack of genius.
5. I like writing. And, yes, that means that I embarked on the project of writing 50,000 words with the expectation that I would hate it just as much as last time.
63,922 / 50,000
Dec 2, 2008 - 12 31
I, like many of you, learnt a LOT!!!
1, 'Writers' are NOT a special breed of people who have a built-in ability to write perfectly and enthrallingly (<<
1,407 / 50,000
Dec 2, 2008 - 22 17
Lessons I learned:
1. Planing is essential. If you don't have a good idea of what your doing or how to do it before you start, you're more likily to loose track of what you're doing and the task becomes more difficult.
Things I learned about myself:
1. Mainstream fiction is still one of my worst enemies (at least on the list of thinks I can see myself writing). I swear, watch out! Next year I WILL finish a mainstream fiction piece.
2. I can make believable and interesting characters.
80,250 / 50,000
Dec 4, 2008 - 06 49
First time nano, I learned: There will always be people who make it hardcer than it has to be.
It's hard enough as is-- it is an insane challenge.
Humans can live on almonds, yogurt and coffee for weeks if necessary. But it won't be pretty.
The occasional writing break can be refreshing, if you're careful.
About myself? Hmm. I learned that I have stuff inside of me waiting to come out in a more orderly fashion than I ever could have dreamed.
I learned, to my surprise and chagrin, that i am prey to pygmalion impluses after all.
There is stuff in my head that my family cannot handle; but I knew that before. I know it times 3 now.
50,099 / 50,000
Dec 4, 2008 - 09 40
Things Nano has taught me:
1. I AM capable of writing that much
2. I do have the ability to finish a story. Even though this story is so bad it will never see the light of day, I still wrote more than I ever had before and I actually finished, which is something I rarely, if ever, do with my stories.
3. I need to (and can) stop taking myself so seriously and just write.
4. Write or Die is awesome.
And the best part is:
Now that I know I can do it, I'm going to attempt to write a more serious story (preferably one that doesn't involve laundry gnomes, werecockroaches, carnivals that appear out of nowhere, and the whole thing being a dream of a minor character). Plot bunnies are already hopping like mad in my head...
:)
43,473 / 50,000
Dec 5, 2008 - 03 12
Hmm... what did I learn...
Well, rocky road for me really lol - I'm not the most confident person at times and lately that's been with my writing as well. What I was hoping to get out of NaNo was basically my love of writing back again, some laughs, a Lot of words and to possibly get past five chapters in a story (very guilty of that). From that point of view, I did actually succeed - well and truly have the bug again lol. I failed on the final day, after a frenzied few days of writing and a week of nothing at all before that (very much the pattern of my month). I had roughly one good days work left, but I was tired :P Definitely trying again next year though, most fun I've had writing in ages.
Now, just to finish the damn story...
50,009 / 50,000
Dec 5, 2008 - 06 11
Things NaNo has taught me:
1. If I tell my parents (at least my father) about something as crazy as this, they won't blow it off as an unimportant and "you-should-not-bother-doing-it" thing.
1.5. My other family members? It pretty much pisses them off but they'll relatively leave me alone.
2. You can function without a colon/semicolon key; just use the little thingy at the bottom.
3. Never, ever give up. Seeing all my real life friends drop out one by one was almost physically painful. But I made it.
4. It is okay to move on and start on another plot point.
5. There is such thing as a last day rush.
6. Word Wars rock.
There's many more. But that's all I can think of.
19,874 / 50,000
Dec 10, 2008 - 02 39
What has nano done for me?
Given me high blood pressure and an addiction to writing far worse than the one I already had! lol
52,500 / 50,000
Dec 10, 2008 - 22 19
Lessons Learnt:
1. Life isn't all about school
2. Some of the best prizes are the ones you can't see or hold
3. Writing isn't even 50% inspiration, never mind 100%
4. It really doesn't take away from anything when you do a good job without achieving perfection
5. Writing is valuable, no matter how horrible and even if it only has value to the author
Things I Learnt about Myself:
1. I'm not quite as much of a lazy cow as I thought I was
2. I really can accomplish things when I have a mind to
3. I am capable of writing crap a lot worse than a grade 2 English class can crank out
4. Working hard is sometimes the happiest place to be. And it sure feels a heck of a lot better than flopping down infront of the computer or TV for a round of mindlessness.
5. No matter how much I love what I've written, nothing is sacred.
0 / 50,000
Dec 10, 2008 - 22 51
I wrote it all up on Owrd, lost interest and forgot to post it on here. Next year, even if I have to live on caffeine, I am doing it o.o
17,283 / 50,000
Dec 14, 2008 - 10 00
1. don't trust anyone in the saxaphone section in band with your flash drive [[i lost half my story]]
2. writing at a football game is a great idea
3. no matter if you fail, having a goal keeps you going
16,544 / 50,000
Dec 19, 2008 - 13 48
I learned that the novel I've talked about doing for the last ten years might just be a feat I can accomplish. I only had 16,544 as of November 30 but I kept writing and now I have about 25,000. Unfortunately my story has smoe major holes and I need to put in some narrative that helps the story make sense in places other than my head... :)
51,017 / 50,000
Dec 26, 2008 - 19 12
-I CAN write a novel
-Inspiration comes from ANYWHERE
-The beginning and the end are the easiest to write
-The middle is a big slap in the face and every other part of your body, mind, and soul
-I want to write MORE!
-I find it...easier...to write stories I stopped a long time ago and just write the darned things
-Deadlines DO help
-It's only a rough draft and it doesnt have to be perfect.
-Perfection is overrated.
-Embrace the madness in something you love.