NaNoWriMo Day 18: It's Over 9,000!

Today's title is technically true, but also an understatement. I've actually surpassed 10,000 words!!

(And cue everyone who knows me calling me a nerd for feeling the need to use a Dragon Ball joke for the title.)

But yes, NaNo is halfway over and yesterday I finally passed the 10,000 word mark! Personally, I am super excited and proud because writing 10,000 words in approximately two weeks is a huge feat.

I admit, these feat has come after some challenges. Mainly that staring at the "official count", or where you should be if you're following the 1,667 words a day guide, and realizing how far behind I was was extremely discouraging. I was feeling like I would never catch up and it was throwing up a wall in my brain, effectively giving me a case of writer's block. I was stressing over things I really shouldn't have been stressing about. I got even more overwhelmed last Wednesday (the 14th) when I finished my second chapter and realized I was averaging around 5,000 words per chapter right now. 50,000 words would mean I would only get through about 10 chapters, which I'm guessing is only about half way through my entire plot.

So, I did something I didn't plan on doing this month. I took a couple of days off from my novel. I didn't write anything on the 15th or 16th. I didn't update my word count. I had my document open, but I didn't try to force myself to get words down just for the sake of the word count. The break was a much needed one, and it reminded me of a few things I needed to remember.

First, it's okay for me to be behind on the word count. The "official count" is nothing more than a guide to help you stay on pace. Being way behind based on that does not mean I can't reach 50K by the end of the month.

Second, it's okay if I don't reach 50K. Sure, I would love to hit that marker and "win" my first NaNo. But, realistically, I may not be able to do so my first year, or my second, or my third. And that's fine. The whole point of NaNoWriMo is to make progress on the first draft of a novel and to develop good, strong writing habits. Those are good goals in and of themselves. Even if saying "I wrote 50,000 words in 30 days" would be amazing, it is not everything.

Third, 50,000 words is most likely not going to be the end of my novel. This is realistic, and I knew this when I started this project. I knew 50K is more the length of a novella or very short novel. It's well below the average length for my genre, which is Sci-Fi and YA. I've taken on a long project. I knew this and I'm willing and excited to do it. I can't let the fact that my chapters are long and my novel will most likely end up being 100K or more by the end of the first draft discourage or overwhelm me. That doesn't serve anyone well.

Progress is progress. Any progress is good progress. In the first draft, there is no such thing as bad progress. I may be behind, but that's okay. I still have goals to work towards and accomplish. That's all that really matters.

Word Count: 10,128