Determination: A Writer's Asset
July 23rd 2008 08:32
I was reading through (please don't shoot me) Nanowrimo Newbie Tips, in a thread, to see what other people thought. I've actually decided to try to mentor a couple newbies this year as well as Going Utterly Insane With Word Count.
A lot of people have mentioned the idea of competition helping them. I'll tell you something about my first year doing Nanowrimo.
I was eleven. There was one person who kept calling me a kid and who I felt a certain rivalry with, who seemed determined that I wouldn't win. In fact, quite a few people thought I couldn't do it-they encouraged me to try, though. Well I showed them all up and wrote 51K. And that one guy, who'd been determined I'd lose? I beat his word count by six hundred words.
In year two, I'll admit it, I BOMBED. I died at 30, 000 as my hospital visits to see Daddy grew more and more extended and eventually completely took up my life. He died and then I took one look at my Nano, and Just. Couldn't. Keep. Going.
Year three. There was the first city word war, and I became Determined. Not only that, but I wanted to make up for the year before and my dismal failure. (A lot of people wouldn't consider 30K a bomb, considering the circumstances, but I consider anything less than 50K a bomb, even though I don't beat myself up.) And, to make it funnier, one of the people on the 13 Year Olds Thread-we forged a community then, a small one, and a number of us know each other and are forming close friendships as the years pass-was from Chicago, the city we were up against.
I blew him out of the water, hell, I blew a lot of people out of the water and everyone was pleasantly surprised. They were also, generally, impressed, and I was commended greatly for my 110, 000 word count.
Year four. Another word war, and even MORE determination this year. Why? Because we were actually losing. The year before, we would've won even without me. I didn't update for a while, and then blew Chicago and New York (I think) completely out of the water. That year, it was quite controversial, especially because my computer, which the novels were on, didn't. Have. Internet. Access. Therefore, I couldn't send anything in.
Year five. I'm determined to win for a number of reasons. I'm determined to hit that 250K mark, and why? First off, check the post 'An Admirable Cause' (linked to at the end) for about half of my reasoning. Second off, I want to prove to everyone that it was legitimate last year and that I can do it. Third, city word war again. Fourth, come on, I'm MENTORING NEWBIES, it would be CHEAP if I didn't win. And fifth, a one of our MLs is leaving Nanowrimo (Municipal Liasons) and one of the word war captains/MLs is leaving Toronto.
So I'm going to show everyone just how much I can write in a month. Determination and caffeine have been my biggest assets through Nano, and through any other story or novel, writing, or editing process. Anything to do with writing, my determination serves me well.
And you know what I'll never forget? Winning the award for Highest Word Count in Toronto last year. That, that was pure awesome.
Here's the post I mentioned:
Really Long Link
Are you determined enough to make it somewhere?
A lot of people have mentioned the idea of competition helping them. I'll tell you something about my first year doing Nanowrimo.
I was eleven. There was one person who kept calling me a kid and who I felt a certain rivalry with, who seemed determined that I wouldn't win. In fact, quite a few people thought I couldn't do it-they encouraged me to try, though. Well I showed them all up and wrote 51K. And that one guy, who'd been determined I'd lose? I beat his word count by six hundred words.
In year two, I'll admit it, I BOMBED. I died at 30, 000 as my hospital visits to see Daddy grew more and more extended and eventually completely took up my life. He died and then I took one look at my Nano, and Just. Couldn't. Keep. Going.
Year three. There was the first city word war, and I became Determined. Not only that, but I wanted to make up for the year before and my dismal failure. (A lot of people wouldn't consider 30K a bomb, considering the circumstances, but I consider anything less than 50K a bomb, even though I don't beat myself up.) And, to make it funnier, one of the people on the 13 Year Olds Thread-we forged a community then, a small one, and a number of us know each other and are forming close friendships as the years pass-was from Chicago, the city we were up against.
I blew him out of the water, hell, I blew a lot of people out of the water and everyone was pleasantly surprised. They were also, generally, impressed, and I was commended greatly for my 110, 000 word count.
Year four. Another word war, and even MORE determination this year. Why? Because we were actually losing. The year before, we would've won even without me. I didn't update for a while, and then blew Chicago and New York (I think) completely out of the water. That year, it was quite controversial, especially because my computer, which the novels were on, didn't. Have. Internet. Access. Therefore, I couldn't send anything in.
Year five. I'm determined to win for a number of reasons. I'm determined to hit that 250K mark, and why? First off, check the post 'An Admirable Cause' (linked to at the end) for about half of my reasoning. Second off, I want to prove to everyone that it was legitimate last year and that I can do it. Third, city word war again. Fourth, come on, I'm MENTORING NEWBIES, it would be CHEAP if I didn't win. And fifth, a one of our MLs is leaving Nanowrimo (Municipal Liasons) and one of the word war captains/MLs is leaving Toronto.
So I'm going to show everyone just how much I can write in a month. Determination and caffeine have been my biggest assets through Nano, and through any other story or novel, writing, or editing process. Anything to do with writing, my determination serves me well.
And you know what I'll never forget? Winning the award for Highest Word Count in Toronto last year. That, that was pure awesome.
Here's the post I mentioned:
Really Long Link
Are you determined enough to make it somewhere?
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Comment by Always Eighteen
Always Eighteen: Japan Edition
Best of luck with the words
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
Nanowrimo is love and I enjoy enlightening people about it.
Thanks.
~Dianna (who is not obsessed, I swear!)
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
Health Focus
Poetry Lighthouse
MS Paint Art
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
Health Focus
Poetry Lighthouse
MS Paint Art
I've been too determined for too many years to feel anything less is worth it right now.
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
No, I'm not kidding you. Everything I write is true.
Except for the 'I'm not obsessed part'. That time I WAS kidding you.
I'm determined not to believe in Heaven, but good luck with that.
~Dianna
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
Health Focus
Poetry Lighthouse
MS Paint Art
So we are kidding each other rather well.
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
Apparently we are!
I'm only obsessive sometimes, though. OK, most of the time, but admit it, I DO occasionally take MORE than week long breaks from talking about Nanowrimo!
I do, right?
Uh, right?
~Dianna