How was NaNoWriMo 2019

The new NaNoWriMo website

For the November 2019 NaNoWriMo there was a new revamped website.  I am going to start with how I got on using it and how it affected my NaNoWriMo experience.

Wrimo Buddies

All the old information had transferred over except connections.  I sent invites out to those I remembered and added some new ones I made via other social media sites.  If you would like to add me, I am Redfae on NaNoWriMo.  

Forums

I still feel the social side of the NaNoWriMo site isn’t really working for me.  I can’t figure out the forums but I didn’t have much time to explore them.  Maybe they will get easier to navigate as the site develops.

Stats

OMG!  I love the Stats.  I used to have to create spreadsheets to record where I was with my word count and calculate if I am on or off track and how many words I need to do to keep up but the new website does this for you and can tell you cool facts like when and where you like to write.

I found it really motivating to see my overall progress  It helped to visually see when I was falling below the line and knew I needed to step up the pace.

NaNoWriMo Stat Overall Progress

You can choose between a bar of line chart.  In the above chart you can see my overall progress.  I started off ahead of target but after an unfortunate week and a spell of not writing, I struggled to stay on track and then fell behind target.  The rest of my NaNo progress is trying to get back on track.  On a positive note, you can see that I didn’t give up and the line does keep going up even if it’s not as steep as I needed.

NaNoWriMo Stat Daily Word Count

The last few days I really pushed myself to catch up and managed to write 6k on the final day!  That was my best daily word count all month. This bar chart really highlights the days I skipped.  Those days were detrimental to me reaching 50k, but sometimes I need to take a break for my own well being and I didn’t want to burnout.

Here are links to my weekly writers diary for you to learn more about how my NaNo weeks went (click on the picture):

copy of copy of nanowrimo nov 2019

copy of copy of nanowrimo nov 2019copy of copy of nanowrimo nov 2019copy of copy of nanowrimo nov 2019

Here are the last final two days of my writers diary:

Fri, 29 Nov

I dropped Noah off at school.  I then needed to call the doctor about Aria’s shoulder making an odd popping sound (they booked me in for a call back).  I had to call Very because they had sent me my order twice and charged me twice – no thank you.   Once that was done, I decided to take Aria to a local playgroup as she missed out last week.  I kept my phone on so I could hear if it rang.

When I was about to leave the playgroup I saw I had a text from the doctor’s surgery to say they had tried to call but there was no answer and I needed to call if I still wanted to be called.  It was odd because there was no missed call on my phone. I rang to get put back on the waiting list.  Although Aria isn’t in any pain, I want her to be seen as she is always doing crazy stuff all the time and I worry she may have hurt herself and just not let us know.

Finally, I got a call back and had to accept an appointment when Aria usually naps.  I dreaded I was in for a grizzly afternoon but she wasn’t too bad at the doctors.  In fact, being sleepy probably helped as she wasn’t tearing up the place.  The nurse that saw her wasn’t concerned about Aria’s shoulder and said to keep an eye on it. If Aria appears to be in pain then take her straight back otherwise hopefully it will go on its own (I’m to keep an eye on it for 1 to 2 months).

I then did school pick up and as Noah was trying really hard to be good, I took him to a local sports club that he has been banned from (by us) for four weeks.  Noah got so excited at the class that he was bouncing off the walls, crazy, embarrassing, very naughty.  Needless to say, the ban is back.

We got home and had dinner.  Then I got on the PC and forced myself to write although I was still quite upset about earlier and feeling a little put out that I am so far behind and unlikely to make 50k.  I am now aiming for 40k.  I did pretty well and ended the night at 39k.  I feel motivated that I can meet my new goal tomorrow.

Sat, 30 Nov

My husband let me have a lay in which I used to write an impressive 2k, on my mobile phone, in bed.  It made me feel great knowing I have achieved over 40k today when I thought it would be impossible as I have a very busy day planned.  One appointment cancelled, giving me a little more breathing space.

My husband took Noah to get his hair cut.  Then, I took both children for a Christmas photo shoot.  I booked it because I really struggle to get nice pictures of them.  They are both full of energy and struggle to stay still.

Sadly, Noah was still in his silly mood.  He was photo-bombing Aria’s pictures and running in-front of the light and casting shadows.  He was messing around with the props and climbing all over the furniture and trying to touch the very expensive camera.  The photographer polite and patient with him but I am not hopeful that we managed to get any pictures – I now have to wait and see.  Once out, I asked Noah why he did it.  He was ‘excited’ and he wanted more pictures.

Aria was no angel either.  She didn’t want to stay on the set or sit still – this is the reason my pictures of her are a blur or she’s half out the shot. I really felt like giving up and then I saw a cute picture of her on my phone that I took on holiday.  I posted it to Instagram and it shared to Facebook.  One of my friends commented “She’s gorgeous but she would look even prettier without the dummy x”.  It broke my heart.  I thought it was a cute picture and I was being judged for allowing my baby a soother.  People are always judging parents and I was at breaking point. I wanted to send her the study on Sudden Infant Cot Death that showed dummy use reduced cot death by 90%.  Yeah she might not look pretty with it, but she’s happy, she’s safe, she’s sleepy and I have a photo of her.  But, I didn’t fight back.  I was exhausted, feeling like a terrible mother and I just cried.

My husband gave me a prep talk and helped me feel better about myself.  They are both going through tricky stages. Noah will learn to control his energy.  Aria is just running everywhere and climbing everything because she’s discovered she can and the novelty will wear off – hopefully, soon before she hurts herself.

I got on the PC straight away and decided to write to see how close to 50k I could get.  I finished at 45,062 words.  It might not be 50k but I a damn proud of myself.

World Indie Warriors Live

Another massive achievement for me was going live on Facebook.  I did on the World Indie Warrior Facebook group and hosted a live write in. It was lots of fun and really motivating.

I don’t know about you but Monday are meh.  But, getting online and chatting with other writers reminded me that I am not alone. I am part of team.  This indie community is so supportive and we cheered each other on.  We shared what we were working on and I read out samples of their projects that they share with me (including some very steamy scenes).

If you want to be party of this group, head over to their Facebook group, World Indie Warriors Members to get involved.

Diamond in the Sky

As I completed chapters during NaNoWriMo, I posted them to Wattpad.  You can read them here in my novel Diamond in the Sky.  I warn you it is a real first draft!

I’m really pleased with the progress I have made and can see me finishing this novel.  NaNoWriMo estimates it will be finished by 5 December but it needs to be more than 50k to be done.

I am going to continue writing it whilst Jewel of the Sea is getting edited.  That’s right!  I paid for an editor for my birthday and I am taking those first steps to publish my debut novel.  Wish me luck.

Book cover for Diamond in the Sky by Ally Aldridge.

I created this cover in Canva using an image from Unsplash.

If you enjoyed this you may also like:

NaNoWriMo Diary – Week 1 (November 2019)

NaNoWriMo Diary – Week 2 (November 2019)

NaNoWriMo Diary – Week 3 (November 2019)

NaNoWriMo Diary – Week 4 (November 2019)

Reflecting on Camp NaNo July 2019

My Books


@Redfae

 

Write 50k words in 30 days

Are you doing NaNo? NaNoWriMo in November is the big annual challenge to write 50k words in just 30 days.

I’ve done it a few times before but never won but that doesn’t deter me. My feeling is that as long as I take part, I am still making progress towards my goal. If you want to be buddies on NaNo, I am Redfae (add me and when I log on, I’ll add you back).

The Project

I’ve spent most of September and October plotting Diamond in the Sky ready for NaNoWriMo. I’ve been plotting using Save the Cat. I still have some work to do to develop my B Story characters but I think I am ready enough for 1 November.

Diamond in the Sky is a spin off novel from Jewel of the Sea, following Kya’s life spiral out of control after getting dumped.

Get involved

Writing can be a rather solitary experience but together with some other members of World Indie Warriors, we shall be hosting live write-ins.

I shall be doing lives every Monday in November at 9pm on Instagram. These will be a chance to chat about how our writing projects are going and get motivated for the week ahead. Even if you aren’t doing NaNo, feel free to join in the chats and cheer everyone on.

On Monday, 21 October, I did my first ever Instagram live with Jodie Groom. I was really nervous so she offered to join me online as a test run to figure things out before November and support me.

To see the live from last Monday you will need to be a member of World Indie Warriors Closed Facebook Group. It’s easy to join. Just click the join button on Facebook.

If Monday’s aren’t for you then you’ll be hyped to hear there will be other write-ins during the week. Check out the schedule to discover other days and times to join WIW online.  Some members will be doing adhoc write-ins.

 

Click My Link Tree
To Connect On Social Media
Click My Link Tree
To Connect On Social Media

NaNo Progress Diary (week four)

Thursday, 22nd November 2018

10:30pm

Admittedly, I have not done any writing this evening but my plan is to get my blog posts written and out of the way so I can focus on just novel writing for the rest of the month… Wasn’t quite as productive as I hoped.

Friday, 23rd November 2018

10:30pm

Guess who is ill now? Me! I have a cold and I think Aria knows as she has been impossible to settle tonight. She has finally gone to sleep and I’m shattered. Just wanted to quickly update my diary before going to sleep. I didn’t even get to grab some Black Friday bargins.

Saturday, 24th November 2018

10:30pm

I’m officially full of cold.  I finished a rather lengthy blog post (Christmas Gifts for writers – coming soon) and once the little ones were in bed, I actually got to write.As there has been a bit of a break I was slow to get strarted but once I got going I really enjoyed it and I’m enjoying where the story is going again as my characters are now on a quest for dragon’s fire.To finish my 25k in time, Dabble worked out I needed to write 1,432 words but I managed to smash that and wrote 1,571.  I love how Dabble’s interface clears whilst you are typing on your manuscript making it void of distractions.  I also loved how it notified me that I had met my daily goal so I didn’t have to keep track of how many words I had typed.

Sunday, 25th November 2018

10:00pm

I’m not sure what has gotten into Aria tonight but she wasn’t in agreement to go to sleep.  I have only managed to just get her down and now I am too tired to write – Boo!

Monday, 26th November 2018

9:30pm

Shamefully, I didn’t manage to do any writing today.  Aria carried only waking up every hour last night so I am shattered today.  It has taken its toll on me and together with my cold I am in desperate need of an early night.

Tuesday, 27th November 2018

10:00apm

Wow, what a busy day!  This morning was the last parent maths class.  I then hurried over for the first day of baby massage class.  I then went home for lunch and decided to skip the baby singing group which Aria loves because I needed a chance to breathe.Then, I picked my son up from school.  Had dinner then went to a Tropics Ambassador event (I am interested in joining).  When I got home it was late and I had to start the battle with Aria to get her to sleep.There was barely a moment today to even think about my story, let alone write.  I wish I had written more yesterday.

Wednesday, 28th November 2018

10:00pm

Aghhh, I am feeling the pressure of Christmas coming and birthday parties, so I had to cram in a bit of online shopping before writing.  I also don’t want my blog to go radio silent, so in the background I have been drafting the outline of some posts.I’m pleased to confirm that I also managed to write.  I added another 1480 words to my word count.

Reflecting on week 4

I am so tired, I feel like I am running on empty at the moment.  Any energy I have left I am spending on my children. I have found that keeping a NaNo diary is makng me feel more unaccountable for my word count because I really am cringing everytime I have to explain to you guys why my daily word count is zero. I’m also finding Dabble great at helping me see how many words I need to write each day to achieve.  It is really motivating and also after skipping a few days I can see the impact of my actions (or lack of it).   My motto for this week’s NaNoWriMo is “Any progress, no matter how small, is better, than no progress at all”  Are you doing NaNoWriMo?  How are you getting on? If you like this post, then you may enjoy my week three diary for NaNoWriMo November 2018 or NaNo Done. If you want to know what I have been working on, please check out my NaNoWriMo Project post.

  if_twitter-01-01_3066980  if_instagram-01-01_3066990  if_youtube-01-01_3066976  if_g-01-01_3066962

Ally plus text

NaNo Progress Diary (week two)

Thursday, 8th November 2018

8:30 pm

This morning, I went to the sling library, then did the school run, I managed to bath both kids, get them to bed and now I am downstairs ready to write.

10:12 pm

I managed to beat my daily word count and add another 1,116 words to my manuscript.  However, I have been seriously distracted by inspirational pictures of Pegasuses and my husband is watching Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (a show I recently watched and loved).  I have done a lot of procrastinating tonight so I am amazed I managed to write anything!

https://youtu.be/ybKUX6thF8Q

Friday, 9th November 2018

9:15 pm

I must confess that today I have failed to add to my manuscript. In the background I have been blogging so not it has not been completely free of writing. Now, I am ready for an early night.

Saturday, 10th November 2018

10:00 pm

Today was all about preparing for Christmas. We went to a fair but it was so busy we gave it a miss as you could hardly move and cost £3 per person for the privilege. So we went into town instead.

Then in the evening, I created my Xmas wish list on Pinterest… but, still no writing. I hope I’ve not lost my mojo.

Sunday, 11th November 2018

9:00 pm

Today we worked on getting the house straight then went for some drinks at our local Royal British Legion for Remembrance Sunday. I got to have my first Malibu in over a year.

 

Once home, we ate dinner, got the kids to bed and now I can barely keep my eyes open. I’m gutted as this is day three that I’ve not written. But, I won’t give up! Sweet dreams all, tomorrow is a new day…

Monday, 12th November 2018

9:00 pm

Tonight, I can’t relax to write. Noah has come home from school with a cold and isn’t himself. To make matters worse, Aria is so unsettled. I’m running between rooms and I don’t think I’m going to sleep, let alone write!

Tuesday, 13th November 2018

9:00 am

No surprise here, Noah is off school today. He really is full of cold. I think Aria is teething, she’s dribbling, chewing her hand, off her food, doesn’t like her dummy and unsettled. This is going to be a long day.

3:00 pm

I finally got dressed.  Noah is now with my mother in law as we need to take Aria to the hospital for her appointment.

8:00 pm

Aria was tired but didn’t want to sleep. Every time I put her down she would start screaming. This time she has stayed quiet so I’m hoping she’ll keep asleep as I am starving and want my dinner.

Not sure I’ll get to write today and in really disappointed. This weeks word count is dire and I’m worried I am too far behind now despite my strong start.

10:30 pm

I got to eat my dinner and I had pudding! Then we wrapped Noah’s bday presents ready for him to come down to in the morning… But, I didn’t add to my NaNo word count. With only one day left this week, it is not looking good.

Wednesday, 14th November 2018

9:45 pm

Noah was off school again today and it was his birthday.  Although he was unwell, he was also really happy and full of excitement which didn’t work well with Aria being grumpy. I’m pretty sure she is teething as she is chewing her fists and is really sensitive about her bottle or dummy going in her mouth.  It is has been a tough day trying to keep an excited birthday boy – now 5 years old – calm when I have got a tired baby to sleep.

I was exhausted when my husband got home and after dinner, he asked if there was anything he could do to help and all I wanted was a shower.  It is funny how something so simple can give you a new lease of life.  After putting the little ones to bed, I felt ready to write.

Dabble says I need to write 947 words today to keep on track for my 25k goal.  I have managed to write 822 words which I think is pretty good considering the day I had.

Reflecting on week 2

Week 2 has not been great.  I am embarrassed by my progress but I am tenacious so I will not give up.  I can still make 25k by the end of the month.  I hope next week is more promising.

My motto for this week’s NaNoWriMo is “Make excuses or make progress.”  Are you doing NaNoWriMo?  How are you getting on?

If you like this post, then you may enjoy my week one diary for NaNoWriMo November 2018 or Week Three. If you want to know what I have been working on then check out my NaNoWriMo Project post.

  if_twitter-01-01_3066980  if_instagram-01-01_3066990  if_youtube-01-01_3066976  if_g-01-01_3066962

Ally plus text