We’re six days past NaNoWriMo 2018, and yet it already seems like it’s been forever since the challenge happened. I guess that’s what happens when you get used to writing daily and suddenly find yourself not doing it; that’s not to same I’m not writing, I am working on some stories (more info in a moment), but it feels odd not writing to a word count goal every day.
As it always does, NaNoWriMo challenged me to crank the words out, even when the task seemed daunting. There were some days where I didn’t get much writing done, either for one reason or another, but I pushed through it. On other days, I cranked out several thousand words. I believe my biggest writing day was day 13, when I wrote 4,916 words, which included the final scenes of part one of Birth of the Sith.
The story came together much as I expected it to. I wrote it in chronological order as I always have for NaNoWriMo, which helped me fill with anticipation for the future chapters when I knew big moments in the story were coming.
However, there was a slight change near the end as an idea for a bonus chapter floated into my mind and I felt compelled to write it on Nov. 29. That bonus scene takes place in the years between the prologue and part one, and will bridge the 15-year gap between those two. In addition, it adds a little backstory to the villain and one of his main apprentices, so they are much more colorful now.
The final moments of writing were emotional, as they always are. I essentially had the final two scenes of the story to write. Both of them contained elements of closure for the characters, which was satisfying for me as an author, and it was a way for me to redeem myself for all that I put them through in the story. I could feel myself tearing up when I was typing the last few paragraphs. I was so emotional that I even put off validating my word count total on the NaNoWriMo website because I didn’t want it to end. But, alas, I did validate the word count, which came out to 51,325 words, the third “wordiest” of my NaNoWriMo projects.
My NaNoWriMo 2018 stats.
What’s Next
I have not touched the manuscript of Birth of the Sith since finishing NaNoWriMo. I don’t plan on looking at it until January at the earliest. In December, I like to take time off from my NaNoWriMo project to come back to it with fresh eyes and make my edits as they are needed.
In the interim, I am working on other short stories for December. I’ve started a new fanfic for the 2017 version of IT, centering on Richie and Eddie in their early 20s. In addition, I plan on revisiting my Stranger Things fanfiction, Guilt, which I started early this year. Guilt centers on Will Byers’ cousin, Chris, and the aftermath of a horrible car accident he’s in with his parents (Will’s aunt and uncle).
Onward!
Troy Rigg
I’ve always thought one of the greatest things about NaNoWriMo is how it inevitably forces you to push through all sorts of resistance over the month (if you’re going to make it that is!).
On top of the great practice it is for anyone who likes to write, I think even more monumental is the fact that anyone who can persevere through 30 days of NaNoWriMo and come out with 50,000 or more words written has proven that they have the chops to take on any challenge or make any change in their life that they want.