nanotes to self

[lobelia321]

What was good to do during NaNoWriMo 2009, or How I Succeeded in Crossing the Finishing Line and Making Myself Mostly Very Happy in November 2009:

• Write-ins are excellent.

• Go out on a regular routine, e.g. Mondays: Café Brazil; Wed: Gradpad; Friday: Clown's.

• Schedule it as a priority.

Most productive places: Café Brazil; Clown's Write-Ins; Gradpad; CB2; even Costa Helmore; even Caffè Nero; even home!

• If on a roll: everywhere is good. To kickstart: go to Brazil or Clown's.
Although now that it's over, Clown's doesn't seem to do it so much anymore, perhaps because I sat at the wrong table. Feng shui is very important for the writing process. And Gradpad is good early, between 1 and 2.30 when all the graduates come in after their lunch and the sun streams in and the view is fabulous (but it's always fabulous) and you get to hear great conversations at nearby tables that you can then type up and incorporate into your writing.

• What I learned yet again: Just keep going through the rough patch. I had a slow start this November, and I was always behind. I finally got to a stage where I was always a steady 2,000 words behind. There was also a week of near stagnation. And then suddenly, one Friday, I powered on ahead.

So, lesson reinforced from Arvon Creative Writing Workshop: Just keep going, no matter what. Even when everything you write is total rubbish and not going anywhere: just keep writing.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

That is very cool for you! I had won Nano three times in a row, and this year I went to write ins for the first time. They were fun (I erm might have been the fun factor in it) and I lost Nano for the first time ever, didn't get the 50K though it's usually not a big deal.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Hah, so the write-ins hindered you? What was your nano name??

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Same as LJ. But the word validator didn't work on 30 November either no matter how many times I reposted just the text into its blank slate.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

O noses! You not got teh purple bar?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Other way round - it gave me purple bar when OpenOffice and Google agreed I had not reached 50K. So I feel all fraudy :) but then again I just saw I forgot to add one year I won so it evens out. Except OMG SUCH A FAILURE WOEEEE

[rhiannonhero.livejournal.com]

*high five* Awesome! :D I agree about powering on ahead. I need to do more of that. ;D

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Today I did not power. But there are still 13 hours left. I live in hope.