I just crossed the NaNoWriMo finish line, which is not the same thing as having a completed novel. I have the first 50,118 words of a novel with another 30k or so to go.
This is the point at which I will take stock of what I’ve written thus far. This is not necessarily an approach that I recommend for everyone, but it works for me. Basically, what tends to happen to me is that I bog down at about the 2/3 to 3/4 mark of a novel. Every time, I think, “Ugh! Why am I having so much trouble writing?” And then I remember. That’s, in fact, one of the reasons I keep track of my writing metrics. It’s much easier to spot when I’m slowing down when I can actually look at the numbers.
I believe that, mechanically, what is happening is that I’m moving from the middle to the end. More specifically, from the point at which I have been raising questions to the point at which I have to begin answering them.
What I do now is go back and reread what I’ve written up to this point, making note of promises that I’ve made, plot threads I laid but am not going to use, and giant gaping holes. I don’t necessarily fix them right then, but I do look at the outline for the rest of the novel and make certain that it’s going to meet the promises I’ve made. I adjust it.
Then I start writing again. Generally, that bogginess clears up and then it’s the mad dash to the end.
I’ll let you know how it works this time.
Wow. Five days early. You rock! Enjoy Thanksgivimg.
This is helpful. I’m about to win my first NaNo, and I still have the second half of my timeline to get through. What I have written now is a total mess, but I wasn’t sure if I should just keep writing or try to at least look at some of the issues first. This seems like a good plan!
That sure sounds like a successful November with an extra bonus for finishing early.
I think my work ethic is similar to yours. In addition to overall word count, my other gauge is the quantity of my notes that are backward looking versus forward. The tipping point appears to be somewhere around 50/50. That’s the stage when it seems history can no longer wait to be rewritten correctly. So to speak.
Best of luck on the tidy up and that final big push.
First YEAH YOU!!! I finished a little early this year, but my editing will require much more just because your skill is more refined. I tried something new this year with nano. I —ignored word count— and did a daily small edit of my writing. I am only 1/3rd the way through the story, but at 50 k, but I am also happy because I know I can cut things out. ((killing my darlings)) . My speed bump I find is the middle third of my writing. My beginnings speed along, as do my endings, but the middles are like writing in molasses. But when you describe what happens in your endings, I realized that I began putting all the pieces in place in the middle. I normally have a major plot changing event at about 30k, (first act ending), and then second third is the response to this. And it tends to slow down, because I need to solve the mystery. The fact that you have a slow down point gives me a little hope.