The Mandatory #NaNoWriMo Post
How Much Am I Prepared?
I have a story that I am writing for NaNoWriMo 2017 which starts tomorrow.
Am I prepared enough?
I have my story. I have an outline for the story. Yes, look at that photo up there. That’s my outline.
It is the first time that I am doing NaNoWriMo. Going by the emotional trauma that you can safely call ‘fear’ spreading among the writing communities online about NaNoWriMo, I can safely say that it has affected me a little. Not too much though. Only a little.
Am I prepared?
I don’t know. Depends on your definition of prepared.
If by being ‘prepared,’ you mean having a novel ready, no I am not. That is precisely what I’m supposed to do this month correct? Get the story out.
I am prepared with a title for the story. The title is dreamy. I have named the story ‘When The Sun Sets.’
Oh wait!
Or was it Rises?
Was it sets or rises?
I think it was ‘When the Sun Rises and Sets?’
If you are thinking of not reading this post any further, now is the time I say ‘Wait.’
Let’s start over and ask the question again: ‘How much am I prepared?’
Here I go. Seriously.
I have a story. I have an outline to my story, not quite like the one I mentioned above, but a decently planned out story. However, knowing myself, I may not stick to the story as planned and create something new. Having said that, I like to plan and work, which is why I have at least planned out the entire plot. The title ‘Plantser’ as NaNoWriMo says is what applies to me. ‘Plantser’ is a writer who has planned the story a little and is also improvising.
How have I been prepping myself for the November word deluge? I have been writing 1000 words daily since the beginning of October. At this point in time, I have a good 30800 words ready from which I can easily skim about 10,000 words for publishing. The rest has been primarily a journaling exercise to get into daily writing with a word-count commitment. However, a lot of interesting ideas have also emerged from this daily exercise.
I am not worried about the word count. The 1000 words daily routine has taken care of that. I am worried about straying the story. I am worried that I will take the story somewhere else. However, that is probably a good place to be in because at the end of November, I will still have a story ready to be edited.
I would love to add some of you as buddies. My author profile on NaNoWriMo is ‘Sravani’ and the title of my story is ‘When The Sun Rises.’
I wish all of you participating in NaNo great luck with the month. I am sure the best feeling we will have is when we actually finish the story! Finishing that unspoken hidden story is the best way to connect with the storyteller within us. So lets get some food for the keyboard. It will need strength to withstand the sudden November stress.
I will not do a vanishing act from Medium here altogether. I will try to keep up the spirit and the pace with some spirits on my desk. Bottled spirits.
If you are a NaNoWriMo participant, read this first, clap here, and then go back to writing your novel.
