Can you all believe that there are only two days left of NaNoWriMo 2014? Honestly, I hardly can. November has flown by, and while this has been a wonderful ride, and I can safely say, I am ready to step off the merry-go-round and establish myself in a day-to-day writing routine.
While I may have reached the 50,000 word mark early, I am still deep in the trenches plugging away with the rest of you. I am nearing the end of my manuscript, but this last week has crept by more slowly than any other part of NaNoWriMo. I know it’s been difficult for me, and I am sure it has been tough on you all as well. If you need some tips, check out the insights. If you need to refocus your motivation, check out my previous post. If you simply need to commiserate or get a pep talk, hit me up in the comments. I’m always game for some solidarity.
Okay, two more days. Let’s finish strong, Wrimos!
Today’s Word Count: 2,553
Week 4 Word Count: 13,462
Total Word Count: 68,253
Estimated Writing Time: 1.5 hours
Feeling: Impatient. I am so ready to join the ranks of those with a finished manuscript!
Motivation: Making up for my last two writing days, which have not been terribly prolific.
Inspiration: Playing Diablo III with my husband, which is, unfortunately, motivating me more to start researching my demon trilogy than write on this novel!
Biggest Triumph: I finished one chapter and wrote another short one today. I have switched to measuring my remaining plot by story beats instead of word count, and I believe I have three medium-length or four short chapters left. I’m practically shaking at the thought of being so close to finished!
Biggest Setback: My husband and I decided to brave the Black Friday crowds today (in case you are wondering, we were uber successful in getting all our wish-list items for great discounts!), but it has left me quite tired. Hopefully a long sleep tonight will have me well-rested to write a lot this weekend.
Helpful Insights: I imagine we are at the point of NaNoWriMo now where some of you may be getting desperate to boost your word counts and do whatever it takes to hit that 50,000 word mark. Well, I hate to be one to play dirty, but these are tough times, right? Here are three ideas to sneakily and incrementally up your word count.
1. Do not use contractions. Spelling out your contractions gives you a bonus word every time!
2. Be poetic. In creative writing workshops, they teach how to write rolling sentences, how to make your sentences expand and breathe, how to turn a mundane action or description into litany. See what I did there? Try it out.
3. Add in dialogue. Writing description may seem like a great way to boost your word count, because each big paragraph can give you 100-300 words. However, sometimes it is difficult to formulate good exposition, and you end up more stumped than prolific. Slamming out a conversation between well-developed characters should be a fast exercise, and you will be surprised how many words you get in exchange for your time.
If you try any of these ideas, let me know how they work for you! If you have others, share them with your fellow writers in the comments section!
Join me on my NaNoWriMo journey on my NaNoWriMo page or follow me on Twitter @KateMColby for more frequent updates!
Kate M. Colby 