It’s once again the season of writing. NaNoWriMo 2020 is upon us. And in these thirty-one days I am looking to write 15,500 words before the event on November 1st ever begins.Why 15,500 words? Break that number down into 31 days of October and you get 500 words a day. 500 is significantly less than the 1,667 words a day you need during NaNo, but more than the few pecking words I’ve had the energy for through September. It’s a way to get me writing a significant chunk, getting the story written out, while not over doing it before the strenuous event. And 500 words is roughly one page. One page a day is an ideal goal for anyone at any stage.
I’m looking to finish this first draft by the end of the year. I have a rough estimate of 150,000 words for the entire draft, but I have no idea if I’ll reach that number or if I exceed it. But I know the story. And I’ll write until I reach the end. So, the 50,000 I need for NaNoWriMo is a good portion of the rest of my estimate, but I do know it won’t be all of it.
So, I’m hoping with the month of October 15,500 words plus the 50,000 words during November will be enough to see me to the finish line or just to the edge so I can either take a break during December or take the last month at a leisure pace to finish the story before the bell of 2021 rings in.
To add to my work load I’ve decided to keep video recording of my progress during NaNo to edit together by the end for posterity reasons. When it comes to editing I am still learning, but there’s no shortage of help out there to lend me a hand. Who knows, maybe by the end of the year I’ll have both a completed first draft and a visual record of the journey to look back on.
Stela Loryn 