As we roll on to the end of NaNo, what are you hoping to accomplish once the month is over? It's ridiculously easy to just stop writing the minute you finish your novel, but that seems like a terrible waste of all this writing practice. Surely it's better to keep in shape with a smaller word count and a new project while you let this first draft age a little bit before editing.

I'm hoping to finish my novel today, before the family descends on my house for Thanksgiving. I've got a fanfiction project that I'm itching to get back to, along with a short story that will serve as a kind of transition from the novel I just wrote to its sequel (the first time I've ever felt I needed a sequel!), plus one completely unrelated ghost story that I want to have ready for Christmas. I've set a personal goal of 500 words a day - which NaNoWriMo has taught me I can knock out in fifteen minutes flat, if properly motivated.

NaNo makes it easy to write because there's a whole lot of us pushing on all at the same time. Maybe if we all promise to keep going after NaNo we'll be able to keep some of that energy and get even more writing done.

I think it's cute how some people actually finish a novel in 50k words. For some reason, I never manage to do that. I worked on several novels this year, but one turned into the runaway success, accounting for over half of my words so far. I don't think I've even come close to telling the full story.

One thing I'm not going to do this year, which I have done previously, is break the story into a series. I have multiple character developments, plot lines and sub plots, action sequences, and story turns. I'm not going to try and plot out where the rising action takes place, or where the climax is: I'm just going to finish telling the story I have in my mind, and have as many conflicts and resolutions as it takes to get this done.

Assuming I get it done... I've yet to actually finish a story I've started. That is something with which I need help.

Anobi wrote:I think it's cute how some people actually finish a novel in 50k words. For some reason, I never manage to do that. I worked on several novels this year, but one turned into the runaway success, accounting for over half of my words so far. I don't think I've even come close to telling the full story. One thing I'm not going to do this year, which I have done previously, is break the story into a series. I have multiple character developments, plot lines and sub plots, action sequences, and story turns. I'm not going to try and plot out where the rising action takes place, or where the climax is: I'm just going to finish telling the story I have in my mind, and have as many conflicts and resolutions as it takes to get this done. Assuming I get it done... I've yet to actually finish a story I've started. That is something with which I need help.

A story wall in January might be just what the plot doctor ordered...

--Tim

editing. I can't wait to get back to a more polished book. And add a word here, or delete a sentence there. Oh, yes, please. Let me delete the overused words, rephrase something, tighten it. I can't wait.

But I will, until I finish this one. Still not done.

Still planning to finish.

Well, I wanted to edit and start writing letters to agents and publishers. And if nothing happens within four months in April May, then just self publish the novels.

My plan is to continue writing until my story is actually finished (I know it won't be finished in 50K or in November). Once it's finished, I want to commit to editing this one and making it into a more polished piece.

TeenWriter wrote:My plan is to continue writing until my story is actually finished (I know it won't be finished in 50K or in November). Once it's finished, I want to commit to editing this one and making it into a more polished piece.

You might want to join cc, and list your monthly goal there.

http://www.critiquecircle.com/monthlyprogress.asp?m=12&y=2014

You should always wait until after you're done editing to send out queries because if they like your idea you want to have a nice polished manuscript to show them. Just a thought to keep in mind.