How to get over the post-NaNo blues

Ever since NaNo ended, I feel depressed.

The feeling resembles the kind of dull numbness after an amazing party that had you dancing in the backdrop of the perfect blue sea of the Mediterranean, while watching the sun rise (memories of Galea come rushing back for those of you who were there and danced to "Sunglasses at Night" with me :)). 

Right now my mood resembles the aftermath of that party. I feel tired, empty, exhausted and highly unmotivated to do anything productive. Up until yesterday I hadn't written a single word, or read anything apart from Facebook messages and posts. 

I want to get back that exciting feeling that kept me going during NaNo. So, I devised a plan, to avoid getting sucked into a hole of watching senseless YouTube videos, while painting my toe-nails and thinking about all the goodies I will be eating over the holidays (I give myself an almost free-pass that time of year).

And the winner is....

28 days, 1 breakdown, 50 cups of coffee, 97 pages and 50,210 words later, I did it!
The first draft is done!

I have to say I started NaNo with the best of intentions but the worst of expectations.

I am not very well known for my ability to finish things. Starting them has never been an issue on the other hand. I am a master of starting, talking, planning, analysing (I can even simulate pretty accurate near-writing experiences) but I had never so far attempted anything as big as actually completing a novel. Because let's face it: It's crazy, right?

Ithaca

I have been thinking a lot about the story I'm writing, the story I want to write, the kind of writer I want to be instead of the the one I am right now (which is all over the place).

For the past 26 days I have been writing and reading and keeping notes.

I try to educate myself as far as the publishing world is concerned and the possibilities for new writers as myself, who are trying to break-through.

I have been reading book reviews by people I one day hope will be reading my books, researching other authors (both YA and not), adding new books to my Amazon wishlist for when Christmas is around the corner and I will treat myself to some new stories (I am especially eager to read "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green).

At the same time I have gone through the five stages of the NaNo experience. These are the following:

When the going gets tough...

First of all, I would like to apologize for my last post: It was self-indulgent and served no purpose whatsoever, other than to boast my ego, so...sorry.

This week has not been very good writing-wise. Sure, I have achieved the word counts I wanted to reach (I just finished typing the 37,350th word and am at page 70 of the manuscript) by sheer power of persistance. The puffy, pink cloud of the initial enthusiasm has become increasingly thin though, and my belief in what I have written so far has disappeared faster than you can say "NaNo".

NaNoWriMo update – Day 16

So, I may not have had time to shrink my pictures in order to upload them and make this blog even more awesome than it already is, BUT I have had a major epiphany. Well, it's more like a realisation. And it is this: At the rate I'm going, I will have managed to finish the first draft of what I hope will become my first book, BEFORE my 30th birthday, which is kind of a milestone for me, so I'm totes excited about that.

When the actual thing is going to be ready for all you fellows to read is totally irrelevant. I aim at a 2013 release but that will be determined by other factors as well. So please be patient with me. I will keep you updated though. So that's that.

I found a great blog I need to share with you guys. It's called Evil Editor and it is nothing short of entertaining AND educational. I suggest going to the first posts to get a feel for the blog first and then have a look at some of the "face-lifts". Here is the link: Evil Editor

NaNoWriMo update - Day 12

So, it's time for an update I'm told.

Wordwise I am on top of the world, Felix Baumgartner style. I wrote almost 3,000 words today and plan to write more tommorow (21,000 or 39 pages in total so far.)

As far as the quality of what I write is concerned, yeah.... that's more like being in a Jules Verne story: 20,000 leagues under the sea, I'm waving at a freaky fish with bad mouth hygiene and a lamp thingy hanging from the top of his head as I am writing this. 

I have come to terms with this though. You can't be both prolific and write quality prose, right? Who cares if Dostoyevski wrote Crime and Punishment AND The Gambler in one year, right? Right? 

NaNoWriMo – Day 7

Ok...so I've made it through the first week of NaNoWriMo without signs of exhaustion, depression or the feeling of utter despair in sight of everything I cannot accomplish. Instead I've managed to write 10,019 words of what I am hoping will become my first book so far and I have to say: I feel pretty damn good!

The NaNoWriMo experiment

This year I'll do it! I'll actually attempt to write more than 10,000 words in a month, even if most of it is shit. Because in November, quantity kicks quality's ass!

If you're the world's biggest procrastinator and prefer looking for kitten mittens online (even if you don't own a cat) instead of writing, this is your chance to prove to yourself that you are not a total waste of carbon. Try this with me, and fail miserably at it (or not)! It will be fun :)