I'll Get that Novel Finished, if it's the Last Thing I do!
By sheilanewton
@sheilanewton (58)
April 29, 2012 11:18am CST
Being a big procrastinator, I kept meaning to get further than Chapter 3 of my novel last year. Then I heard about NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month - last November. I took up the challenge to write 50,000 words - and i did it. That didn't complet my novel though! I still have about 15000 words to write. So now, I've decided that in the month of June, I'll do little else except - FINISH THAT NOVEL!
How easy is it for you to be an organised writer? I find I get waylaid so easily by writing sites online - and discussions site like this one. And I don't follow my list of things to do. The list is there - but I just ignore the damn thing!! Tell me your writing experiences?
4 people like this
13 responses
@allyoftherain (7208)
• United States
29 Apr 12
I didn't do NaNoWriMo last year, as last year was just an altogether rotten year for me... but I did it in 2009 and in 2010. I finished both times. When I am working on a book project, I really don't find it that hard to finish a first draft. Editing and revising tends to bore me though. If everything goes well this year, I'll do NaNo this year again. I really love NaNoWriMo.
@sheilanewton (58)
•
7 May 12
Great - I'll see you on the NaNoWrimo forums if I do it this year. Do you have the same 'handle' for Nanowrimo as you do here?
1 person likes this
@allyoftherain (7208)
• United States
7 May 12
No, it's different. It's AllyMarshall. Is yours the same? Feel free to add me as a writing buddy.
@lady1993 (27225)
• Philippines
30 Apr 12
I don't really write but i do code- computer programs.. And that is quite hard, i spend hours staring at the computer figuring out what the problem might be, sometimes i am lazy and just watch movies instead if i can't figure out what is wrong with my program.. But there are also times that i enjoy what i do.. especially if my program runs well .
@sheilanewton (58)
•
1 May 12
I LOVE writing my blog. Trouble was, it was taking up too much of my time. So I've cut it down to about once a month and it works better that way.
Take a look - and send me the link for your blog so I can have a peek at yours!!!
http://sheilanewton.blogspot.com
@morgandrake (2136)
• United States
2 May 12
Thanks to college classes, I have yet to conquer the NaNoWriMo. I have been doing it for four years straight, and have four unfinished novels to show for it. Unfortunately, this summer I have time to attempt to finish them, and guess what--they are all on the blasted laptop that quit working a couple of months ago. It is not that I am disorganized; I am merely unlucky.
@JosephP (1116)
• Jamaica
29 Apr 12
My experience is very similar to yours. Sometimes I find it difficult to go along with what I planned to do but then there are other times when I am on a roll and I am extremely focused. I find that being focused comes easier when I view what needs to be done as a series of small tasks and just think about the tasks individually.
@sheilanewton (58)
•
7 May 12
Thanks for this, Joseph. I hadn't thought about it before - but I need some structure to be focused. Making lists really helps me.
@Shannonymous (108)
• United States
29 Apr 12
Glad to find some other NaNoWriMoers! I didn't finish this past year because of crazy work schedules, and don't know if I will this year either. But I have won a few years' worth, and like you, I've just gotta buckle down and finish those novels. I'm no good at endings.
What is your novel about?
@sheilanewton (58)
•
29 Apr 12
It's a Young Adult coming-of-age story of love and loss, friendship and lust. It's set between the East End of London and the Midi-Pyrenees in Southern France.
@riempie9 (1021)
• South Africa
5 May 12
I know exactly what you mean. I have written ten novels which were all published, and then I happened into article writing and exploring sites, and I am sadly neglecting my 11th novel. I make good money with my books and here I make cents, but I am horribly addicted to the comments and answers and writing new articles and checking my earnings in the morning. After I got the hang of it, I made up a daily schedule to write two articles first before I do anything else, have breakfast, then write write for My Lot as you can never stop writing there with all the questions and answers. Every day my son and my brother tell me to work on the book. I have to.
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
29 Apr 12
That is how I feel about my class work right now. I will get finished with it, just give me some time.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
29 Apr 12
I didn't attempt the NaNoWriMo since I was taking classes at the time, but I have written a novel, one that was over 80,000 words until I start revising. Now I just need to revise it again before submitting. so what is your genre? Mine is a mixture of love/suspense/inspirational and I hope the selling point in my novel is that the inspirational part has not been written before, at least my editor friend and myself have not found any..
@GemmaR (8517)
•
30 Apr 12
I am actually very jealous of the fact that you are nearly there writing a novel, as it has always been something that I would like to do but I have never had the time to actually be able to do so. Now that I have finished my course at University, I have a little bit of spare time before I go on to do further training, and I think that I would like to do NaNoWriMo this year, and I am looking forward to it already. It will be a bit of a challenge for me, but I like to work hard towards something and this seems to be the perfect thing for me to do.
@stary1 (6612)
• United States
29 Apr 12
sheilanewton..congrats on your progress so far. I have writters block I guess..I get all enthused then nothing...I have been trying to write a novel for years and the interest comes and goes...it's discouraging...
Good luck to you in your self discipline in finishing your noveland welcome to myLot..keep us informed of your progrress..maybe that will help you??
. I have writters block I guess..I get all enthused then nothing...I have been trying to write a novel for years and the interest comes and goes...it's discouraging...
Good luck to you in your self discipline in finishing your noveland welcome to myLot..keep us informed of your progrress..maybe that will help you??
@doroffee (4222)
• Hungary
29 Apr 12
I'm the worst writer. New and new premises come to my mind, and I usually leave them after chapter 4-5 to pursue another one. Maybe I'm too impatient. I guess next time I'm gonna take really part in stuff like NaNoWriMo or Script Frenzy to have at least one of them finished, because I have a bunch left here and there :D.
@amy77824 (147)
•
29 Apr 12
I am working on my best novel yet but the problem is i'm still writing out the plot. I keep getting side tracked or i get major writers block and find something else to do. It hard being a writer but i think you have to push yourself to your goal and not get anyone else to do i for you. you have to grab perseverance and hold it tightly and never let go of it. Only then will you achieve your most highest dreams in life. Only then will you be successful.
I hope you see this and take it in
Blessed you be
@me123party (487)
• United States
29 Apr 12
Dear,
congrats on your progress so far!Enjoy writing!Dont think of writing as "i have to get this done" think of writing as "let's see what will happen next " always keep a postive attitude towards writing.Use suspense in the story to grab readers for a longer period put a twist in the story !the best books I have ever read we're ones that had a huge twist in the story.An most importent of all,read!
