I’ve
gone and done it. I’ve signed up for a second year of NaNoWriMo in the hopes
that it will boost my productivity. It’s ridiculous really. I wrote last time in
this blog about procrastination, yet I know I can put in the hours and achieve
huge chunks of writing – pleasing writing, that I am more than happy with as a
first draft – in a relatively short time, when I set my mind to it. However, it
seems that I work much better to a deadline. I’ve always been the same, whether
it was essays at uni, or my very long list of projects for work, I become much
more productive the closer I run to the line.
My new
novel is no different. I wrote my first chapter ready for critique by the
writing group in early October – 920 words done. I sorted the plan out in mid
October and wrote my second chapter, again ready for my writing group deadline,
a week later – another 1423 words written. Today I sign up for NaNoWriMo. It is
the 4th of November and NaNo has been going for 3 days. I am already
behind. I sit and write, despite the disturbing sounds of builders fitting
external insulation to the row of council houses down my street, and lo and
behold I have completed 6,026 words. Slightly less that I need to keep on my
NaNo track, but at this rate I might even finish early, after all, I only have
43,974 to go.
Oh, and this blogpost adds another 300 words to my
NaNo word count, because one of the good NaNo tips I’ve picked up is that you
should include any and all your writing for the month of November. I wonder if
that means job application letters too?
