It’s been a weird year, but if I was going to identify a silver lining, this was the easiest Nanowrimo to participate in for years. In years past, my work travel has been increasing, and in some years there were lots of karate classes to take Miranda to. There were plenty of evenings in hotel rooms or sitting in the car writing.
This year, I was home every day and could choose where and how to write. There were still some days that were hard to write: BCC Zwift rides have started early this year, so three nights per week I was riding to eight and then a shower and calling Dad before writing started. And you can’t write every day for a month without having days that you don’t feel like it. Having different ways to write helps a lot. Three different typewriters provide some variety, and there was one day on my MacBook and three days on an iPad: first one was my old iPad and two on the new.
But no matter the method, the words are written and I’ve moved the story forward. I won’t type “The End” before the end of the month, but that’s pretty normal for me.
Tammy’s still got some typing to do to make it to 50,000, but I’m confident she will make it.
Updated Dec. 1
Yes, Tammy crossed the line and I kept going all the way to November 30. I was putting stuff away today and was rearranging my binders of typewritten novels. I thought this was pretty impressive:
This represents one ongoing story that I’ve been working on since 2013. (and technically based on an idea that I first wrote in 1992) Right to left:
- Green binder: 2013 wrote a story that raised a lot of questions for me
- Red binder: 2015 (and Camp Nanowrimo 2016) started writing a backstory
- Blue binder: 2016 continued writing backstory
- White binder: 2017 and 2018 continued writing backstory
- Yellow binder: 2019 re-wrote the 2015 story now that I had the answers
- White binder: 2020 continued writing the story.
One of the cool things about writing on typewriters is you get these massive reams of hard copy instead of a few innocuous files tucked away in a folder on a hard drive.
📝
I finally crossed the line this eve. I was really close last night, but did not have the energy to keep on going. It was a bit of a slog this year. I thought it would have been easier with working in the daytime, but not so as an online teacher. To spend many hours teaching online and then to face another 2 hours each night nano-ing was demotivating. Nevertheless, I persevered and now I am finished for another year. Yay!
Woo! I didn’t get to “The End”, but I ended up with 61 and a half thousand words. And that ain’t bad. Maybe will pick it up in Camp Nanowrimo in 2021.
CONGRATULATIONS Tammy!!! Impressive amount of writing Simon!