My First Nanowrimo
October 1st 2009 11:44
I remember my first Nanowrimo as if it was last year, not almost six years ago. I remember the long, eager wait for Nanowrimo, having discovered the existance of the contest in early December the year before my first Nanowrimo. I remember starting to write on the ancient laptop I had gotten from my grandmother.
I remember going to the events and seeing the people, the ones who encouraged me and the ones who doubted that an eleven year old could win Nanowrimo.
I remember writing every night, struggling to meet my quota, taking on dares and finally running out of plot at 45K, and tacking on a cheesy 6K to give me a win. I remember the night I won Nanowrimo for the first time and printed out my winner's certificate.
I remember all of these things incredibly clearly. Why? Because Nanowrimo inspired me to challenge myself, to write my first novel, and to have fun doing it. Nanowrimo got me writing every day without fail.
The night I won Nanowrimo Daddy went to the hospital. They woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me that Daddy had cancer. I went numb and turned to my writing, a response that was almost instinctive thanks to Nanowrimo.
And I can honestly say if it weren't for Nanowrimo, I may not have gotten through the Novembers that have come between then and now. Each year November is a hard time for me, a depressed time because of those I have lost, but because of my friends, some of whom I met at the very beginning and others I've met in years since, I'm able to not just go on living, but I'm able to go on writing, more so than I write during any other time of year. That's what keeps me sane in the rough month of November.
The first time I did Nanowrimo I had a blast. I learned the joys and terrors of writing a novel. I met several new people, all writers to some extent, some of them serious, some of them not but still good people each and every last one of them. And every one of these people has helped me somewhere along the line, even that guy I didn't like, because it was his doubting me that pushed me to write those last 6, 000 words when I ran out of plot.
Nanowrimo is an experience. Not everyone will enjoy it as much as I have, not everyone will find it useful, not everyone will enjoy it at all; but it's well worth trying out if you have any dreams of becoming a writer. Getting into the practice of writing often is insanely useful for the years that lay ahead of any aspiring writer.
I remember going to the events and seeing the people, the ones who encouraged me and the ones who doubted that an eleven year old could win Nanowrimo.
I remember writing every night, struggling to meet my quota, taking on dares and finally running out of plot at 45K, and tacking on a cheesy 6K to give me a win. I remember the night I won Nanowrimo for the first time and printed out my winner's certificate.
I remember all of these things incredibly clearly. Why? Because Nanowrimo inspired me to challenge myself, to write my first novel, and to have fun doing it. Nanowrimo got me writing every day without fail.
The night I won Nanowrimo Daddy went to the hospital. They woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me that Daddy had cancer. I went numb and turned to my writing, a response that was almost instinctive thanks to Nanowrimo.
And I can honestly say if it weren't for Nanowrimo, I may not have gotten through the Novembers that have come between then and now. Each year November is a hard time for me, a depressed time because of those I have lost, but because of my friends, some of whom I met at the very beginning and others I've met in years since, I'm able to not just go on living, but I'm able to go on writing, more so than I write during any other time of year. That's what keeps me sane in the rough month of November.
The first time I did Nanowrimo I had a blast. I learned the joys and terrors of writing a novel. I met several new people, all writers to some extent, some of them serious, some of them not but still good people each and every last one of them. And every one of these people has helped me somewhere along the line, even that guy I didn't like, because it was his doubting me that pushed me to write those last 6, 000 words when I ran out of plot.
Nanowrimo is an experience. Not everyone will enjoy it as much as I have, not everyone will find it useful, not everyone will enjoy it at all; but it's well worth trying out if you have any dreams of becoming a writer. Getting into the practice of writing often is insanely useful for the years that lay ahead of any aspiring writer.
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