We made it!
A little bit of a belated Congratulations to everyone who participated in this year’s National Novel Writing Month – we did it!
It was not an easy journey, not for a lot of us. Even if we finished our word count ahead of schedule, some are still trying to finish the story line, and others are entering the world of editing – something we (ought to have) fastidiously avoided for a full 30 days.
It’s scary.
Well, maybe not for everyone, but it is for me.
My biggest challenge in December, writing-wise (because naturally trying to stay sane in the Christmas season with two kids, a husband and a cat keeps me busy) is going to be finishing my story. After that, I have big, fun, scary adventure goals – editing, which after nine NaNoWriMo’s I have actually never done, and then publishing. And hopefully selling.
Have you found the Big, Fun, Scary Adventure Challenge yet, by the way? I have. I’ve posted my goals there, but for some, me included, that big forum with hundreds and thousands of people posting, it’s a little impersonal.
So hey, in the spirit of adventure, I’m going to share with you my Big, Fun, Scary Adventure plans for the next year. Last year I had three – to post a weekly video of myself (which lasted a week), to doodle every day (which lasted about four months), and…um…something about writing more. Didn’t happen. But this year people asked me about the challenges I’d set for myself, and I felt something.
Guilt. I felt guilt. Because I had tried, but not managed it. So this year, I have that guilt driving me. I also had another idea…my ideas, they weren’t big and scary enough. They were manageable, had I kept at them, but I didn’t have to fight for them.
So this year, I have a couple BFSA’s I want to share, and if you’re interested, I want you to share yours, too. Then next October, when we’re gearing up for NaNo again, we can hold each other accountable.
Nicki’s BFSA’s for the 2012 season:
- To finish, edit, and publish my 2011 NaNo Novel, Esther Goes Outside
- To write two more novels (Camp NaNoWriMo, here I come!), edit them, and publish them
- Get no less than 100 people to tell me they don’t want to buy my novels (go ahead, ask me why!)
- Keep our region meeting monthly throughout the year, every month until next November, with no less than five people in attendance each time
Hrm…have I bitten off more than I can chew? I don’t know – but NaNo and Chris Baty have taught me one thing – if I can do this, there is unlimited potential to what else I can pull off. And this time, heck, I have a whole year!
So congratulations for giving NaNoWriMo a shot – you rock, and you are my hero. Rock it on a little harder throughout the year in honor of Chris Baty with me.
