What to do when you inevitably hate your NaNoWriMo story.
It is that time of year again, November, and this means of course it is National Novel Writing Month. A month where the fantastically crazy people who participate drive everyone around us crazy! We endeavor to pull forth from the bowls of our souls some kind of story that is, if we are to succeed 50,000 words!
You know this to in fact be a crazy thing to attempt because who has the time with their normal day to day life right? This is my 15th year attempting it and many of those have been fail years. It happens. Even in the successful years though it happens, for sure happens, that I end up HATING my NaNoWriMo story! — Send chocolate and Coffee!
It is normal for a writer to hate their novel!
It seems to happen to a lot of us! Actually, the few actual author friends I have all admit it happens to them even with the work they have published. At some point, you believe it is crap…. you don’t want to look at it. You wouldn’t deem it worthy for a puppy to pee on even. (Hey, work with me here, my brain if fried right now!)
So what are you to do?
Tips to stop hating your story!
Lets sum up some of the best advice I have seen:
- Push through, you are going for word count. You don’t have to love it now or ever!
- Scrap it, life is too short to not love what you create….
- Change it! Go adopt a blot bunny from the adoption area on the NaNoWriMo forums!
- Share the issues you are having with your writing community, maybe those crazy people can help you turn it around.
And the newest one I am trying RIGHT NOW. Let someone read it.
Oh. My. Writing Gods. I have never ever done this with a NaNoWriMo story. I just took the first chapter and I offered it up to some friends on facebook to get some advice. Do I bother keep going on day 3 or start again, because at this point, I hate it.
So far 2 people of 4 have gotten back to me!
Being a brave writer is important! Try something new! NaNoWriMo Share your writing with someone!
ME — I feel like I rambled too long as NaNoWriMo demands word count. Let me know your thoughts when ever you have time. <Insert first chapter file> (NO I AM NOT PUTTING IT ON MY BLOG!)
Michelle — I will! Thank you for letting me read your work. I feel so honored! I’ve never let anyone other than my kids read anything I’ve written!
Me: Same! I have done NaNoWriMo for 14 years now… never let anyone read them. I just need to wrap my head around this one though. I feel like the first chapter is…. off.
Michelle: Well, I’m hooked after the first paragraph! I read it to my daughter and she’s telling me to stop massaging you and get back to Nef!
Me: Thank you!
Michelle -Oh my goodness!!!! You HAVE to continue this story!!! It’s soooooooo good! Seriously! Some grammar/ spelling errors, but that’s to be expected. The story though! I can see you selling this one!
Me: It isn’t too….drawn out?
Michelle – I have so many questions, and it draws the reader in immediately. I was reading the part where the creature rips the screen out and my phone rang. I nearly jumped out of my skin! No, not at all!
Me: I feel like it doesn’t have enough happening.
Michelle — It’s a great first chapter, I think. It draws you in, makes you ask all these questions…
Me: I need to move the deer scene too.
Michelle: It has the reader dying to know more.
Me: Too many questions though? Thank you for the feedback Michelle!
Michelle: No, just like… why was she watching Madelyn, how does she know her, has she always been a unicorn? I get the feeling she wasn’t…. That something terrible happened to her, the attack And somehow that’s how she became a unicorn. I could be WAY off.
Me: Most of that I have planned for chapter 2 so hopefully it doesn’t make the reader too impatient to know.
Michelle: No, it’s one of those books you just don’t want to put down
Me: Ok great, that is intuitive and the reader will expect to understand how Nef got “turned” but it wasn’t the attack but the healing from it.You made me feel so much better. I was worried, 4k words and I felt like not enough was happening.
Michelle: No, it seriously flew by! Just enough happening with plenty of intrigue packed in.
Please send future chapters!
Me: I will!
So as you might imagine I was liking my story a bit more just then! Of course, another friend brought me back down to reality:
Deborah — Just glancing at it. There is no dialogue. All first person narrative. Voyerism is good but I like conversations too. Also- don’t kill me but hate the name Nef. Is it a nickname? Too foreign. Not feminism. I like the ihtro- quest, new place. Good adjectives. I feel old I’m there. There are some edits- if I may. But I’m old school. Would like to print it and edit with a pen.
I clearly have work to do! I am so glad for both kinds of feedback. Goodness it is hard putting such work out there. I mean I have been rambling here for years and have no issues making a mess with words in front of you all but for some reason NaNoWriMo is scary! Why oh why?
So I tried something different for me and now I don’t hate my NaNoWriMo story so very much anymore! I hope you figure out a way to not hate yours too!
