NaNoWriMo Challenge Report – Week 1

As explained in a previous post, for the month of November 2013 I am undertaking a modified version of the NaNoWriMo challenge. Instead of writing a 50,000 word novel in a month, I am simply aiming to write 50,000 words of fiction (excluding blog posts like this one and other non-story writing, such as introductions and blurbs). I have allotted myself 22 days to write these 50,000 words (allowing for travel and conventions), meaning a daily average of 2,273 words per day. Words can go towards any number of stories I have in the works, in any proportion, but they must all be stories I intend to finish and publish one day. I am therefore recording, every day, the number of words I’ve written for each story, the total number of words that day, and how many words I am over or under my daily minimum average. I am also keeping a running total of how many words I’ve written and how many days it took, how many words I’ve left to write, and how many days to write them in, as well as a tally of how many words I am over or under the minimum average for the total day.

My entries for the past week (November 1st-7th) can be found below.

FRIDAY November 1
1,349 for Arcana 1.5
1,189 for Random Oddity: Amar & Desta
TOTAL: 2,538 of 2,273
265 over minimum average

Current total: 2,538 in (1) day(s)
265 over minimum average (total)
Remaining total: 47,462 in (21) days

SATURDAY November 2
1,225 for Arcana 1.5
1,547 for Amar & Desta
TOTAL: 2,772 of 2,273
499 over minimum average

Current total: 5,310 in (2) days
764 over minimum average (total)
Remaining total: 44,690 in (20) days

SUNDAY November 3
1,187 for Star Walker
1,401 for Driving Arcana 1.5
TOTAL: 2,488 of 2,273
215 over minimum average

Current total: 7,798 in (3) days
979 over minimum average (total)
Remaining total: 42,202 in (19) days

MONDAY November 4
1,066 for Driving Arcana 1.5
1,106 for Desta and Amar
926 for Star Walker
TOTAL: 3,098 of 2,273
825 over minimum average

Current total: 10,896 in (4) days
1,804 over minimum average (total)
Remaining total: 39,104 in (18) days

TUESDAY November 5
1,945 for Driving Arcana 1.5
610 for Amar and Desta
2,030 for Star Walker
TOTAL: 4,585 of 2,273
2,312 over minimum average

Current total: 15,481 in (5) days
4,116 over minimum average (total)
Remaining total: 34,519 in (17) days

WEDNESDAY November 6
2,495 for Driving Arcana 1.5
1,082 for Amar and Desta
TOTAL: 3,577 of 2,273
1,304 over minimum average

Current total: 19,058 in (6) days
5,420 over minimum average (total)
Remaining total: 30,942 in (16) days

THURSDAY November 7
163 + THE END for Amar and Desta
1,589 for Driving Arcana  1.5
1,177 for Star Walker
TOTAL: 2,929 of 2,273
656 over minimum average

Current total: 21,987 in (7) days
6,076 over minimum average (total)
Remaining total: 28,013 in (15) days

A very good week overall. It was a bit daunting at first, but I find the more I write, the more excited I get about the stories I am writing.

*

Goldeen Ogawa is a writer, illustrator and cartoonist. You can follow her daily progress on the 50k word challenge on her twitter, @GrimbyTweets, and you can also email her at goldeenogawa@gmail.com—but understand why if she doesn’t respond right away.