Last November, I dedicated myself to writing the first draft of a novel in thirty days. I had attempted NaNoWriMo the previous year while studying for my Masters degree, but failed miserably, giving up after ten days. Though I knew I desperately wanted to be a writer, the fear of failing in my studies prevented me from dedicating the necessary time to writing. But, there was another reason for my failure that year: the idea for my novel wasn’t solid enough.
NaNoWriMo 2013 was another experience entirely. That August while I was writing my Masters dissertation, I went to visit a friend in London. My route back took me via the Underground. While on the Tube, I was listening to Ramin Djawadi’s score from Pacific Rim. The score had such an epic feel to it that I soon imagined a fight scene taking place while I sped through the Northern Line. The hairs on my arms prickled as the scene in my imagination played out: inspiration had struck. My first thought after that was, why was the fight scene was taking place? What made it so special?
Thus, the idea of genetically enhanced ‘perfect’ humans was born. Though I was still editing my dissertation, I was excited: I finally had an idea with longevity, something that could fit into the niche market of young adult fiction.
My NaNoWriMo experience that year was incredible. September and October saw me in a mad frenzy of planning and preparing. As a confessed stationery addict, I stocked up on pens and notebooks and planned how the novel would pan out. I did my research too, on genetics (thanks to my sister), on governments, on weapons and fighting techniques. I crafted out a plot which flowed from scene to scene and created a diverse cast of characters to carry the plot through. Granted, a lot of the initial ideas did not even make the first draft, but I knew where I was going.
By the time the first of November arrived, I felt prepared. I felt excited. I knew this was going to be my year. I made a schedule for myself, noting my word target for each day. I had a playlist of music ready to be played. I had planned to perfection.
During this time I was working as a waitress. I had moved back to Wales while I found my feet after university: it was the perfect time to write. My day worked in a way that I had three hours off in between shifts. I found myself staying at work during my break and using that time to write. It worked: the pub/restaurant where I worked had no wifi, no phone signal: I was completely cut off.
For the first few days I stayed on target. Every day I updated my progress on the NaNoWriMo website and smiled to myself that I was on or above the target line for each day.
Within the first week I fell behind. Work became busier and busier and I struggled to find the time to shut myself away to write. I remember feeling the fear of failure setting in. Though I kept going, I fell further and further below target. By the second week I was almost ten thousand words behind. Real life had other plans for me.
I was lucky because my inspiration hadn’t faltered. I still could envisage my characters in my head at each turning point in the plot. Their stories were begging to be told. Most nights I couldn’t sleep because they were calling out to be let loose. I had to keep going.
I stepped up my dedication. I got up earlier each day before work and wrote while I breakfasted, wrote through my breaks and at the dinner table, gave up evening television to get more words on the page. I remember it being a solitary experience. Though I had my family around to support me, I often needed music and headphones to focus. Despite this, they were brilliant: I had asked them to scold me every time they saw I wasn’t writing, and they did.
The extra time began to take effect. As I entered the third week I was back on target, and soon, to my surprise, above it. I stopped writing the minimum per day and instead wrote as much as my muse would allow. Before I knew it I had more than made up for the lost words. The feeling was utterly incredible: my very first real idea for a novel was taking shape and growing with each written word.
On the evening of the 30th November I removed my headphones, saved my work and proudly declared to my family that I’d done it. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t cry a little. I updated my word count for the final time on the NaNoWriMo website, and it declared me a winner.
If my experiences with NaNoWriMo have taught me anything it is that planning and perseverance are key, but above all, I learned that I have what it takes to be a writer, to dedicate myself to penning my ideas. For me, that was an invaluable, liberating experience.
Since then, I have been redrafting and editing the first incarnation of that novel. It’s now titled Half A Heart, and I plan to submit to agents in the near future. Until then, I aim to write its sequel, Burn The Ashes this November, and have the bare bones of a third and final book waiting in the wings.
To keep up with Elle's NaNoWriMo journey, follow her on Twitter here and find out more on her blog.
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