Getting into the thick of things

So, we are now 5 days into NaNoWriMo for this year. Actually, by the time I get this posted, we will be really close to the start of the 6th day, but that's just a technicality, and for now I'm just going to pretend we're on day 5 still. Because if it's day 5, I'm still ahead of schedule.


Last night, we had our first write-in in Guelph. It was rather small, but we got work done. I'm not sure how many words were actually written among us, but I'm pretty sure I wrote close to 1500 words myself. But I have to say, the best part of it was simply getting out and writing somewhere different, and being able to talk, face to face, with people doing the same thing, trying to write this many words in just 30 days.

But to do this, to keep with your novel and writing every day, you need to enjoy it. Either that, or a very strong stubborn streak that keeps you writing even when you hate what you're writing about. Me and another NaNo'er who was out last night, who goes by phlegm on the boards, was taking about this last night. She had actually restarted her NaNo yesterday because her first plan wasn't working out. I'm not sure how many words she has on it at this point, because she made sure to tell me that her word count on the site is far from accurate. How many others out there are having trouble getting on the site to update your word counts? I know that there are many times during the day and evening when the site is very slow.

But, my big accomplishment yesterday was that I wrote over 4600 words. How, you might ask? It was a combination of not having to work (and so I spent most of the day, when not being distracted) writing, going to the write in, and then participating in word wars when I got home. Lots of writing, which would not have happened if I hadn't had an outline to work from.

But, with Saturday's goal (the number of words you should have to be on track to finish by the 30th) being 10,002 words, we all need to get back to writing this weekend. K-W/Cambridge are having a write in tomorrow at 1pm and another Monday at 6pm, for anyone interested in going. So, whether you are writing on your own, going to a write in, or participating in a word war or NaNo Sprint, let's get some words out this weekend! Even if you're ahead of schedule, keep writing and save those words for a rainy day. Or, more likely, a sunny day, so you can go out and enjoy the weather without worrying about meeting your word count that day.

And just remember, 50,000 words isn't a stopping point, it's a goal. If you can manage more, go for it! Even if those extra words are after November is finished.