Hey there!
As we bid farewell to October, I was sitting at a local Denny’s with several members of my local NaNoWriMo region, beginning the new month and the new challenge with a writing sprint.
It’s a good way to start a month, and a good way to pile up some early words as an insurance policy, since life inevitably happens until it doesn’t.
There have been some months when I’ve made it my goal to surge through those 50,000 words as fast as I can (once in just 10 days, which was at once exhilarating and exhausting)
This year, I have a lot of things going on. Since I’d like to close out both my first 12 Week Year and 2017 with a cleaner slate and more breathing room, I’m aiming for a maintenance word count most days…somewhere between the 1,668 I need to make my goal, and about 3,000, which is an amount I can do in a less than three hours if the words are there, but which won’t make me unavailable for the rest of life.
I’m making a few exceptions. I’ll be attending two writing sprints each Sunday, so I may top 3K those days. Also, this Saturday is NaNo’s Double Up Day, with a goal to double donations and word counts, and I’ll be attending a four-hour write-in (and trying for the double). And on Tuesday nights, our fantastic, forward thinking Municipal Liaison, Shannon Kauderer, has set us up with NaNo’s new chat feature, so we’ll be having online sprints then.
So Sundays and Tuesdays will be my only high-NaNo-intensity days.
If all goes well, that should leave me with five days a week to focus more on other parts of this Action Plan, and those that follow it.
I should have some idea how it’s going by the end of next week, when I hit the halfway mark in my inaugural 12 Week Year, and take stock of my overall progress toward my goals. If necessary, I’ll make adjustments then.
Are you participating in NaNo?
If so, why?
If not, are there other writing challenges you enjoy?
Relationships, Family, and Home:
Beta Readings:
Complete two chapters Stained; one Spellfire, until both are complete. Weeks: 5-12.
- Week 5 Progress: 0%
Hometending:
Complete five hometending rounds in study; three in bedroom; and one on porch: Weeks 5–6.
- Study: 2/5 completed.
- Week 5 Progress: about 25%
Homeschooling:
Facilitate Jeremiah’s driving practice thrice weekly, weather dependent: Weeks 5-9.
- Jeremiah drove from our home to the nearest large town 10 miles away, by night. Gaining confidence on state routes and 4-lane highways. 1/3
- Week 5 Progress: 33%
Draft Lises’s first quarter report: Week 5.
- Arts, Practical Arts, Music, Health and Safety, Physical Education, and Attendance completed; 10/10
- Realized at this point it’s not due till Dec. 1; but close enough to done that I’m going to proof, revise, and submit.
- Week 5 Action COMPLETED!
Draft Miah’s first quarter report: Weeks 5-6.
- Week 5 Progress: 0%
Professional/Financial:
Ongoing Learning:
DIY-MFA Pixels to Platform:
Complete Module One: Week 5.
- Week 5 Progress: 0%
Complete Module Two: Week 7.
- Week 5 Progress: 0%
Slaying SEO:
Spend 3 hours/week on class materials: Weeks 5-7.
- 15 min/ 3 hours.
- Week 5 Progress: About 8%
How t0 Revise Your Novel:
Complete three hours of lessons, using “On Any Tuesday Night.” Weeks 5-12.
- Week 5 Progress: 0%
New Writing:
Among the Firestars:
Complete Plotting elements through Act One Beat Sheet (can skip steps as indicated): Week 5.
- Antagonist Sheets: 5/5 sheets completed; 6/22 sections total; skipping 7 for now.
- Character Arc: 5/7 sheets completed; Section 8/22 in progress.
- Week 5 Progress: About 35%
Complete 6,668 words of rough draft: Week 5.
- Although I have words written, my cutoff for Wednesday’s update is 12AM, so they’ll appear on the next update.
- Week 5 Progress: 0%
OctPoWriMo 2017:
Complete poems 29-31. Week 5.
- Poem 31/31
- GOAL COMPLETED! Time to celebrate!
Chef Bluebeard:
Adapt media schedule: Week 5.
- Week 5 Progress: 0%
Find/contact holiday venues as indicated; contact total of 4 businesses for POS sales. Weeks 5-6.
- Week 5 Progress: 0%
Health, Fitness, and Spirituality:
Samsung Health:
Complete 5K Week 8: Week 5.
Made up run from Monday, Oct. 30. Struggled with the 20 minute jogging interval.
- Week 5 Progress: 33%
Tai chi, yoga, and reiki:
Tai chi: Attend class at least weekly; either Monday evening, or Tuesday and/or Thursday afternoons: Weeks 5-12.
- Week 5 Progress: 0%
Attend a drop in yoga class at ReVibe: By Week 7.
- Week 5 Progress: 0%
Mindful Eating:
Eat two vegetable based meals/snacks; Wednesday/Friday: Week 5.
- Week 5 Progress: 0%
Personal Expression:
Purchase snow gloves: Week 5.
- I don’t have gloves yet, but I have possibilities. I’ll need to go to a large local mall to return the Torrid bra, and there is an LL Bean store in the same mall. I’ll look for gloves there, or, alternatively, I can use a Kohl’s gift card that came in the mail this weekend.
- Week 5 Progress: 10%
ROW80
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Shan Jeniah's Lovely Chaos 
I like that 12 week year approach too. Similar to ROW80 – when I use it effectively.
Your NaNo looks like it’s progressing too, at a measured pace. Congrats.
I ended up pushing through at the end, and about half the book remains to be drafted, but I’m happy with the progress. Especially this month…because if I can write 50K in a month as reality-dense as this one…
I wrote my first novel in NaNo 2010. Halfway through my mother, 95 and fairly spry, came down with congestive heart family. She only lasted a few days, time enough for us all to say goodbye. But, through the hospital visits, the funeral arrangements, the will – all that ‘stuff’ – I kept on writing. It helped me to keep going, having that other world of my characters.
Hugz to you.
I love the 12 week year and just want to thank you for introducing me. I love the idea of a rest and reset at the end, much like I usually do at the end of the year. I love your goals and tactics, they seem doable, but may overwhelm me. I have to focus on 2-3 things each 12 weeks. Love your stuff, keep writing and inspiring! Thank you.
I think we all nave our own levels and ways that work best for us. My brain and lifestyle need lots of options; I’m still fine-tuning how many is the best amount (and of course, life has changed dramatically this month, which changes the parameters).
Happy to offer you something that works for you! =D
Maybe not a lot of progress made during the first half of the week, but you got some things finished. And I’m sure you’ve got that progress now. 🙂
I’m not moving forward quite as fast or easily as I might like… but the truth is, things are very different than I thought they were going to be at the beginning of the round, so…I adapt.