NaNoWriMo 2018
The NaNoWriMo is the diminutive of "National Novel Writing Month". Every year, the challenge comes back on the dedicated website (https://nanowrimo.org). The objective? Write 50.000 words in a month from November, 1st to 30th.
Every year, the challenge starts and many authors across the globe try to complete it. There is no theme, and yes you can complete it in only three days. The NaNoWriMo is only a personal challenge. Even the gain is personal. For me for example, besides the fact that NaNoWriMo increases my writing skills, it helped me also to gain confidence in myself. About my skills, my imagination, but also about the fact that "Yes, I can do it."
Even if I practice writing in my free time for something like ten years, the novel I've created during November is the biggest novel I've ever made. And before more explanations, you can find the words stats about my novel "Abandonnés" and the synopsis below:
Synopsis: 2018, Atlanta. All adults died because of a mysterious virus. Our protagonists? A group of children between 1 and 13 y.o. They'll have to put their childhood aside to face the hazard of life and survive.
Because I was writing during my free time and after working, you can see that my main goal was to stay above the daily word objective. This allowed me to not be afraid of unforeseen circumstances.
I completed the NaNoWriMo on November 25th. The end of the month was hard but I succeeded officially with an advance of 5 days. I'd loved to write more, like 60.000 or 70.000 words but my final count was 52.000. And after all, the most important is not to complete the NaNoWriMo. The most important is to be proud of yourself. and to take some good time writing every day for a month.
For me, it was an awesome experience. It allowed me to work on a huge task with a short deadline. But, it also helped me to work under pressure. By taking care of myself with better management of my schedule...
But I also learned to be proud of myself. At the beginning, I thought it was an impossible challenge. However, I completed it in advance and without any privation in my life. I had role-playing game sessions, parties with friends. It was only possible because I had no other choice but to learn how to work from home while juggling between this challenge and my personal life.
• 50.000 words written in 25 days during my free time and 52.000 in 28 days. It represents approximately 82 A4 pages. (200~ pages for pocketbook size)
• Gave me the experience of working under pressure and with a deadline relatively short.
• Increase my writing skills. "Abandonnés" is the biggest story I've ever made.
• It's not over, I want to proofread my novel when I'll have more free time to complete it and correct it.
Link to my novel (In french): Click here!