BY NANCY KAY CLARK
CommuterLit editor & publisher
Copyright is held by the author.
AS MANY of you know I participated in November’s Novel Writing Challenge (Write 50,000 words of a draft by the end of the month). I completed the challenge, ending up with 50,150 words.
This is what I learned:
1. Not every word I write is precious, and that’s okay.
2. However, every word I put down was valuable in clarifying what my story is and what it isn’t.
3. I’m neither a pantser or a plotter, but lie somewhere in between. I don’t mind plunging into a story without much of an outline, but I have to regroup from time to time throughout the process to really think about structure and plot and character development.
4. Consequently, within those 50,000 words are bits of me just jotting down mini-outlines and possible answers to my perpetual question: “Where is this story going now?”
5. Despite all my rationalizations to the contrary, I do have the time each day to work on my own personal writing projects—without cutting in to my other responsibilities.
6. Setting a daily word-count goal and rewarding myself for achieving that goal—essentially gamifying the writing process—works for me.
7. I enjoyed the process.
Of course, now comes the hard part of taking those raw 50,000 words and honing them into something readable. But I’m up for the challenge.
How did you do?
List your New Books on our Book Store Page
The Holiday gift giving season is approaching fast. We invite contributors to list their new books on our Book Store page. All the new listings will be featured in our last newsletter of the year on Monday, Dec. 15.
Send us a jpg shot of your front cover, a 50-word promo blurb and a link to buy by end of day Monday, Dec. 8.
Missed some posts from last week?
Catch up with your reading here:
Our digital world? “Certified Compatible” by John-Paul Cote
Encounter with history. “The First Time: A Memoir” by David R. Topper
Endings. “Last Night” by Alex WJ Broad
Ancient presence. “Creekside Luxe Getaway!” by Benjy Cannon
Follow us on Instagram @commuterlit
