I did it! I am a winner! As is everybody who signed up the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) irrespective of whether they hit the 50,000 target or not.
Even if writers fall short, they can’t fail but have learned something from the experience. In my case the forward only momentum has been good for me as my tendency is to correct and re-edit ad infinitum. I usually end up being bored with what I’ve written so abandon everything (this why I like writing blog entries which are best when more condensed). I’ve also learnt a lot about what it takes to keep a narrative afloat and how hard it is to create vivid characterization.
I admit that the degree of padding increased alarmingly towards the end and I haven’t yet summoned up the courage to read the novel through from start to finish. Still I do have a finished first draft that I can tinker with at my leisure (I’ll give myself some time off before I attempt this!)
