(Boy this is late. So late. There are reasons, including a purely practical technical one, but never mind. In the spirit of finishing what I start, here is the final part of the Nanowrimo motivation series. ) This is it. You have made it, or nearly made it. Nine more days and you will have succeeded in an endeavour most people do not even begin to attempt. Be proud.
Day 22 – Make sure your wordcount is up to date. If you have done 50,000 words already, it may be possible to verify your manuscript on the official nano website.
Day 23. Keep writing. Now is the time to plan the rest of the project. Is there a day you can devote to writing to catch up if you are behind? Can you … take a day off work in some way? Plan it now.
Day 24. Have a massive writing day. Stay up all night. Buy coffee. Bash out five thousand words. My biggest ever writing day was 14,000 words. I was flat at the end of that, but I clawed back that year’s nano from the brink, in the final week. Do it.
Day 25. So close. Other people’s avatars now have WINNER written on them when you browse the forums. Contact your buddies, egg each other on.
Day 26. Do not give up now. If you’re nowhere near the end, begin typing out in pure exposition what happens in the remainder of your novel. “…So Bob goes to the volcano and throws in the ring but dragons come and then-“
Day 27. Almost done. Back up your work if you have not already, because tomorrow is when, if you haven’t, your computer will sense this and die forever.
Day 28. Write like the wind. Then browse Canva to design a fantastic cover for your novel, which once again you realise is sheer brilliance.
Day 29. Ignore all else and complete your wordcount. This, now, is it.
Day 30. You have done it. Save your work. You can upload your draft to the official nano website and get it verified, ie, counted, to make sure you have written the requisite number of words. Then you get a WINNER badge on your avatar, a certificate which you will print out and display prominently everywhere people can see it, and you can order your WINNER gear if you have not already.
Add Writing Novels to your resume because you are now a novelist. It’s not finished, it’s not ready to send to an agent or Random House, but the first draft is done. You made it.
And feel proud forever, because you have done what most people cannot. You wrote a novel in a terribly short time whilst also maintaining a semblance of real life. This is not really sustainable unless you live in a cabin in the woods, but it proves it can be done. Never forget that you are capable of this. Doing this makes you special, forever. Remember that.
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