NaNoWriMo, just a gimmick or does it work?

 NaNoWriMo may not work for everyone, but it does for me. Once a year, I take out time to focus on writing more than I do the rest of the year. The entire month of November, the National Novel Writing Month, I commit to writing at least a few words every day. And often this is more than a few words. 

The challenge is to write the first draft of your next novel within the 30 days of November. In October you are meant to work out your book and do any pre-planning you might want to do. And then, on the 1st of November, you start writing your book. The target is to reach at least 50000 words by the end of November, but some people may set that target higher or lower.

My first NaNoWriMo was in 2018 and that brought me 91784 words for "Diary of a Female GP". That year I was a free agent, recently retired, but returned to full-time work mid-November. The book is now published and bringing in several ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews. You can find it here: http://books2read.com/u/m0VOVM

The second NaNoWriMo in 2019 was during a time I also had to contend with a full-time job. Time was limited and the chances of getting to 50000 words appeared not as easy. I wrote 58247 words for "Wake-Up Call".  I' m still editing this book at the moment.

And this year is my 3rd NaNoWriMo. Today is day 21 of the 30 and the first draft is not finished yet. So far, I have 60773 words and there are more to follow. The book I'm writing this year is called "Watching You From a Dark Corner". This year I was very close to not even attempting to take part and I'm so very glad I did. Time is no longer a given. Where many people involuntarily gained more free time during Covid, my free time became even more sparse than it already was. One of the drawbacks of working in healthcare during a pandemic. 

And then, just before NaNoWriMo started, eleven members of our staff went into self-isolation due to two separate cases of Covid. That last week of October I had planned to do the prepping for NaNoWriMo. It was not to be. Instead, I had to give up some of my days of annual leave to jump in as emergency receptionist. And the self-isolation continued during the first week of November, when I was due to start NaNoWriMo.

Even with the barriers thrown in my way, I forced myself to take a few hours out every night to write. And now I'm so glad I did. I surpassed the target of 50000 and a new book is waiting to be completed, edited and published.

And then earlier this week, something amazing happened. I was just about to start writing the next scene in the book and had worked it all out in my mind while preparing tea. 

The baddie was going to be called back home and would leave Lizzy alone locked in the bedroom. His ex had again entered his apartment without his permission. Something she had been doing a lot of lately, despite having been told she couldn't and having been thrown out several times too. Of course, he exploded and ordered his second in command to capture her, and hold her captive. Then he would return to the apartment to check everything was still as it should have been and she had indeed left.

And at that exact moment, the radio started playing "I don't believe you" by Pink. Of all the times to do that, it did while I was thinking out the exact scene. This song was the perfect thing to add to the story. So, now he enters his apartment to find the loudspeakers blaring out that song. Ana, has put the song on repeat to annoy him. Her favourite song, but definitely not his.

And when Demitrius steps into his apartment, it is at the exact moment Pink sings:

No, I don't believe you

When you say, "Don't come around here no more"

I won't remind you

You said we wouldn't be apart

No, I don't believe you

When you say you don't need me anymore

So don't pretend to

Not love me at all

What could be more perfect than that? Thank you Sky Radio for playing that song at that exact time. It just fitted in with the scene so well I had to use it.

Today, I will be writing a few more scenes, it's getting near to the end of the book now. And then, over the next few days, I will put some more detail in some of the scenes where I realised I left things out I had meant to add. 

By the end of November, I should have the draft of "Watching You From a Dark Corner" finished. And then there will be two books awaiting editing. Just like I had after last year's NaNoWriMo.

So, does NaNoWriMo work? Well, for me it seems to.

Joni,