One month of absolute craziness is over and as you can see by the definitve drop in my posting frequency, I really needed a writing break. After all, I wrote more than 102K of words, thereby completing my first ever NaNoWriMo (actually completing it twice, since the goal were 50K). You can read all about this on my blog in the category NaNoWriMo, but there are some things I would like to reflect upon.

*** Just an additional word on the picture, because I forgot to mention it when first posting: it’s not a snapshot, it’s a composition of five different images taken at various exposures and then blended together. There was no other way of actually showing off the atmosphere of candle light and make the contents of the screen visible at the same time :) ***

Competition

Unfortunately I didn’t find any writers in my immediate area which I could compete against, speed wise. I would have liked to go to a write-in and do some sprints or word wars, just to have the immediate competition and sense of belonging to a (slightly crazy) group. But with a full time job and the writing mostly done in the late hours of the day, it would have been difficult to do something like this during the week.

Instead, I chose to compete with Jarsto. True, I could neither match his speed nor his resulting word count (big deal if you take days off for writing :P ), but I tried to keep the difference in our word counts the same. Knowing that he could churn out 5K or 10K per day was a huge challenge and it gave me the edge I needed just before midnight to not quit because of fatigue but to keep hitting the keys. So that is something I will definitely like to repeat next year, because without the competition, the incentive to write is less, at least for me.

Mood/Settings

Writing for me is a combination of being in the right place in the right time. That encompasses the physical state as well as the mental state. The right place can be actually anywhere as long as certain requirements are met: I need to be in a somewhat comfortable writing position (which should actually disqualify my desk at home), I need my peace and quiet (which I can artificially produce by plugging my in ears in and listening to music from my iPod), and I need warm tea (lots of it).

Most important to me – it turned out – was the dark. I could write much better once it was dark outside. The low light, ideally paired with candle light, created a setting which my brain found it best to work in. I am still trying to figure out how to best utilize that knowledge next year. Since it isn’t dark all day round, I will probably need to find a place that artificially induces this kind of atmosphere.

Cold

Next year, given that I still live in the same apartment (very likely considering the current job situation), I absolutely need gloves which only leave my fingertips uncovered. Since I am working full time and I only have one room (living room equals bedroom), I don’t waste energy (and money) on heating during the week. So, when I return from work around 6pm, I come home to a chilly apartment (about 17-18 degrees Celcius). While dressing up in multiple layers is easy, it still leaves the hands which are exposed to the cold. After two hours, it gets increasingly difficult to type fast and accurate because my fingers freeze.

Walking

While showering and bathing turned out to be quite the plot generator, walking is an activity serving two purposes as well. After the sitting-intensive writing session, it gives me the chance to get at least a little bit of workout and it helps to clear my head to the point where new ideas have the chance to surface. So I will need a pair of warm winter shoes next year so I can take longer hikes.

Plotbunnies vs Walls

Jarsto has plotbunnies, I got walls. Literally. When I have an idea, I feel like I’ve hit a wall and sent it crumbling down, revealing the beauty of a new plot or the solution to an existing plot behind it. What goes on in my mind reflects in my outward appearance as well – during November my colleagues asked me numerous times why I had stopped walking “like you’ve run into a wall”, looking especially weird while walking to the next restaurant for lunch, with people all around you, trying to avoid to run into me. But the feeling of these sudden revelations is just amazing. Posing a hazard to others while having them is a risk that comes with NaNo, I guess.

Plot – Before and after

I found that you don’t actually need to know your plot beforehand. That was quite a revelation for me because I usually plan everything ahead. But just having a vague idea and plunge into a story can be incredibly refreshing, especially when you see the story unfold itself beneath your fingers as you type.

Food & Drinks

I have completely underestimated the importance of snacks during writing. I thought I’d eat my regular meals and write inbetween, but when inspiration strikes you, it strikes you and it doesn’t really care if a plate of delicious verggies or a pizza is standing right in front of you. So, having some snacks available that I can just pop into my mouth while I am writing is something that will be very high on my agenda the next year.

Tea is something that is invaluable as well. For one, it warms you nicely (especially if you are sitting in a rather cold room), and it also has the effect of getting my creativity going. I discovered two new tea varieties, one of which I will certainly never drink again (too much camomile), but the other I will add to my regular tea consumption.

While mulled wine provides instant heat, it unfortunately also clogs my brain instantly, so I can not recommend it dor writing. Afterwards, to warm through and settle mentally down fast  for five hours of sleep before it’s off to work again, mulled wine is priceless.

Free Will

Forget it. It doesn’t exist. You think it’s your own story, you think you are making things up and the characters will faithfully go where you point them. Nothing could be more wrong. Characters, I have discovered, develop the habit of creating a dynamic of their own, virtually coming to life. Sometimes, they are unwilling to do anything at all and you have to twist your brain to find some incentive for them to go ahead (lying to them included). At other times, characters can’t wait to continue with the story and that can be very troubling when you are at work, trying to concentrate. I think the only thing they didn’t do to me was flipping me off, but we’ve come pretty close to it, I am sure.

Notebook

One lesson I learned the hard way – always, always keep a notebook ready! It doesn’t matter if it’s analog, digital, or even a voice recorder, but like I mentioned before – inspiration strikes quite suddenly sometimes and if I don’t write my ideas down immediately, I might end up forgetting them. Considering that some of my ideas are really good, that would be a waste.

Something that hasn’t been invented yet is a dream recorder, which would come in handy. I once dreamed my whole story, complete with arcs, highlights, action and loves scenes – and the only thing I could remember in the morning was that I had dreamt it. Only all the details were lost to me.

Sleep

You will not get enough during November. Working from 8am till 5 or 6pm, then writing from 7pm until midnight guarantees shadows beneath your eyes and gloating comments from friends and colleagues.

Alright, this is my quick – or not so quick – recap of the craziest writing experience I’ve ever had and I look forward to next year.

Related Posts

• NaNoWriMo 2008: The End
• NaNoWriMo 2008: Walking
• NaNoWriMo 2008: Official winner
• NaNoWriMo 2008: Dream recorder needed
• NaNoWriMo 2008: Procrastinating
• NaNoWriMo 2008: First official count
• NaNoWriMo 2008: 10K in one day!
• NaNo Musings: Mood, Settings, Creativity