NaNoWriMo Fail or Pass?
It’s the end of the one month writing splurge where you tried your darnedest to create 50,000 fresh words for you current WIP (Work In Progress). Was it a NaNoWriMo fail? a NaNoWriMo Pass? Or both? The big question, whether you exceeded your expectations or not, is now what?
What are you supposed to do? Let’s look at both avenues, shall we?
Option #1 YOU’RE A FAILURE!!!!
Okay, okay, that’s a bit harsh. You are not a failure. I repeat not a failure. And the first step after the NaNoWriMo month is to accept that truth. You’re not. So you didn’t make 50,000 words in one month? So what?
And I’m no failure. I’m proud of myself for the work I was able to accomplish. For me, it was about 25,000 quality words. Unlike many who write in NaNoWriMo, I didn’t change my writing routine. I always edit my previous pages before I start anew. It’s a trick I learned from Jerry Jenkins Writer’s Guild and it makes my writing much better which in turn equals a cleaner final edit. My goal will forever include quality writing — not to write for the sake of writing but to continue to focus on writing well. I’ll always choose quality over quantity as long as the quantity is reasonable. I mean writing one sentence in two hours does not equal productivity no matter how high end the sentence is…at least not for me.
Step two for the failure route: go back and EDIT!
I can’t express the need to edit enough. However much you wrote, reread it with fresh eyes and revise it as best you can. This will allow you to charge full throttle into the third step.
FINISH YOUR WIP!
The ultimate goal for most writers is to get published. But let me let you in on a little secret — without a finished WIP, you’ll never get published. Look how shocked Kevin is….it’s mind-blowing stuff.
Just be sure you finish, set a goal for yourself. Goal setting isn’t only for NaNoWriMo but for any writing you’re doing, hopefully beyond the month of November. My current goal is to finish my WIP by the end of January. I’m not stumbling blindly into it either. Thankfully, the writing machine Scrivener offers the ability to set targets which will break down how much you need to write each day in order to meet said goal. For example, I want to write about 70,000 words for my current WIP. I’ve already written 33,000 words. Scrivener tells me I need to write just under 1,000 words 4 out of 7 days a week till February 1st, 2020. (anyone else freaking out that I wrote 2020)
There you have it — 3 easy steps post a NaNoWriMo fail. Good luck.
Option #2 YOU PASSED!!!!
First off, a congratulatory salute is in order.
Seriously though, congratulate yourself on the hard word because it was hard work. You pushed through self-doubt, the unnatural desires of social media temptations, and writer’s block. YOU DID IT! Pat yourself on the back, celebrate with the obligatory twitter announcement, then move on to step 2.
EDIT.
It’s funny how whether or not you passed or failed your NaNoWriMo month, it’s still important to go back and edit. 50,000 words or 200 — both require revision. So buckle up buttercup, take a deep breath and reread your 50,000 words. For best results, please be sure to remove any rose-colored glasses beforehand.
For more help with your editing, please see Jerry Jenkins’ post on self-editing without mercy. It’s fantastic advice and entirely necessary if you were able to write 50,000 words in one month. Perhaps you’re godlike and everything you pen comes out perfect. But in case you are human and likely write flawed, please revise and edit for the safety and satisfaction of all future readers.
Lastly, after a million edits, critique partners or readers, it’s time to take the big step. If you’re planning to traditionally publish, you’ve arrived at the query stage. Please do your do diligence — research suitable agents and their requirements as well as how to write a professional query. Stay tuned for future blog posts on the subject.
So now what?
After the well-deserved nap, get back to it. Don’t give up. Never surrender to the doubt. Happy writing my friends.
If you have any suggestions or ideas for what to do post NaNoWriMo, please add them in the comments.
