Well my friends, it has been one hell of a week! In fact, did I check in last weekend? No I didn't. In that case it has been hell of a fortnight!
My goals were:
1) Read two books a week for 100+ reading
challenge (or as much as I can!).
2) Write 1,667 words a day atleast for
NaNoWriMo.
Goal One - This has completely slowed. I was reading a book I wasn't really enjoying so did something I never do and switched to another one halfway through. I am enjoying it but I have no time to read! The 100+ books in a year challenge is slipping away and I doubt I am going to make it!
Goal two - The goal that consumes every fibre of my being!!!! NaNo is always hard. NaNo is always tough but of the three I have done this has been the toughest. Before November I made a grid of the month and made notes of days I wouldn't be able to write. I was organised and I knew I would plan around it. What I hadn't expected was things to do with my upcoming move consuming so much time and energy so that days I thought were free to write had no time to write. There have been four days I haven't been able to write and some days I haven't made the daily amount we aim for. I could feel myself slipping further and further behind and at times I felt like giving up. But I didn't. I have no idea where the motivation came from. It is a challenge you chose to undertake. I don't have to do it. It isn't a job I am contracted to do. But I wanted to. I didn't want to declare I would do it and fail.
It also helped that some of my good ROW80 friends were doing NaNo and they were struggling as well. We admitted it to each other on twitter - "Sorry you are behind but I am glad I am not the only one!" Lauren even coined the hashtag #behindboatisbanging and newtowritinggirl, Lena and I all grabbed an oar and have been trying our hardest to catch up.
Here are my words for the fortnight (just so you can see the fall and the climb!):
Monday - 1,676 words written
Tuesday - No writing
Wednesday - No writing
Thursday - 1,006 words written
Friday - No writing
Saturday - 1,676 words written
Sunday - 738 words written
Monday - I started the week 8,215 words behind. I wrote 3,133 words
Tuesday - 3,460 words written
Wednesday - 1,734 words written
Thursday - 1,717 words written
Friday - No writing :(
Saturday - 3,238 words written
Sunday - 5,017 words written
So as of today I am back on track with a total word count of 41,757 words written and the end is in sight!!! I am tired, behind with everything else but I am getting there! I know I am out on Tuesday so I will aim to do double the word count tomorrow night and try and write a bit on Tuesday morning. Today I have had a 5k day and I don't think have ever had one before! I was meant to be away but the awful weather meant I had a quiet weekend here with no guests which is the only reason I ahve managed to catch up. If I hadn't been here this weekend I would have struggled. Note to self - make less plans next November! I couldn't have done it without sprints and simply checking in with Lauren and newtowritinggirl. There is something about knowing others are going what you are going through that motivates you.
I am going to focus on reaching 50k by the time I go away on Friday and then I can focus properly on starting to pack to move. Hopefully next weeks check-in will see me announcing my win of NaNo! But one step at a time.
I hope you are all doing well and I am sorry I have been so out of the loop. Have wonderful weeks!
It's really helped having you and Lauren there for me too - it shows, because as soon as we all stepped away from Twitter, I stopped writing!
ReplyDeleteWell done catching up, you're so close now. And well done on your first 5k day. I've done a 7k, or 8k once, so I think I'm going to be fine too. Yay, go us!