I know that 50K is just an arbitrary number, a Big Round Figure that's supposed to be huge and scary and cast in unobtanium and all, but it's a great goal. If anything, it's a testament to the power of erosion: of the rippling effect that regular small-scale chipping away can do. 50,000 is a big solid slab of text, but picked apart by word, line, and page, it's completely reasonable. Last year, I couldn't fathom how anyone could not only beat NaNo early, but then go on to set such crazy goals like 100K, 250K, 500K, or 1 million words in a month. (Actually, I'm still out on that last issue. One million? You people are crazy.)
So here I am, green bar on the site, little "winner" dingus on the name badges. A nagging part of me still thinks I've over-estimated my word count, but there's plenty of story left that needs writing between now and the end of November, especially if I want to claim my prizes. There's a lot of roughness going on, but at the same time I'm surprised by the turns the characters are taking, the plot elements that are unfolding within the loose cat's-cradle framework that I've laid out. I'll have to write up a recap when I'm all done-for-real-done, but when it comes to regular writing on a typewriter, I'm a believer.
7 comments:
You. Are. My. Hero.
That's all I can say because I'm not worthy. What a feat! What inspiration for first-time dawdlers like me!
Have you scheduled a prize somewhere in there for yourself?
Very inspiring. You've had a great attitude about this whole Nano-by-typer thing from the start, so it doesn't surprise me to see you racing toward the finish! (Cue "Chariots of Fire")
Monda, I didn't set up a 50,000-word-prize, since I'd wrong assumed that I'd be done by that point. The story has kind of run away from me at this point, all sorts of backstabbing and wheeling and dealing from supposedly minor characters who refuse to be yanked off into the wings so the plot can proceed. *sigh* I had to lay down the law with one bit of backstory that threatened to go on for a week if I let it. I'm really at the tipping point of the novel at this point, I hope it picks up as we rush for the real ending.
Strikethru, a more apt musical selection would be this.
Wonderful! I'm glad to see you finish the thing, with time to spare. I still don't know if I have any hope at all, but I am writing daily. I've got three days off this weekend and will try and see if I can make some serious progress.
Very well done, Mike. The Brigade is proud of you.
Save a spot for me at the winner's banquet table. I may need someone to lift the fork for me, though, as I seem to have a typing injury.
Note to future TypeWrimos: Never, NEVER buy a new typewriter in November. When given the choice between cleaning up your new thrift-store find and typing another 2k words, well you know who's gonna win that battle.
Still a lot of plot to go, thought it's picking up. I need to put down the crack pipe of introducing secondary characters at the last moment, and then digressing on their days. I've already got enough plot, thanks guys. Hang out for next year, won't you?
Duffy, I'm on self-imposed repair-quarantine for the month. It's been rough going, though. I have a couple of machines that really need to be properly cleaned out and pampered.
Bravo.
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