(Update: Final tally @ o1.12.2008 – 15,319 winners out of 119,151 writers who participated)
After 24 chapters, 69 pages, 50,239 words, 273,255 characters and many sleepless nights, I have finally done it!
I have won my NaNoWriMo 2008 in my first outing. From the NaNoWriMo’s website – total winners todate is 5,805 out of the total 118,648. That is less than 5% from the total. There is still 3 days more to go, so we should be expecting the number of winners to increase.
It has not been easy though. I started my NaNoWriMo campaign on the second day of the month (I missed the first day). Starting was slow. I only managed to do 906 words on the first writing day when I should be averaging at least 1,600 words per day. But in time, I managed to catch up. By yesterday, I already have done 50,239 words over 23 days. That is an average 2,184 words per day.
Keeping on writing was not easy especially when I could not think the next plot for my story and the clock was ticking away. Everyday, after I went back home and had my shower and dinner, I will open my laptop and start typing the story. I will try to “draft” out the plot in my mind as I am driving back home and once I start, I will expand it from there. Often I have gotten more ideas after I have started to write, so it was a good thing too. My daily writing sessions last for about 2 hours and this is a daily event (except on the weekends where I have more time to write more). I lost some good sleeping hours but what the heck; this project only comes once in a year.
My story for NaNoWriMo 2008 titled “The Malayan U Boat” is not finished though. The story details are still in a crude form. There is plenty of polishing up to do in December. I need to fine tune the storyline, give other characters proper names, update the details of German U Boat, and give proper location details and many more. I gather I will clock another 10,000 words (or more) once the editing has been done.
I already plotting my story for the next year’s NaNoWriMo… hope more will participate!
i think u’ve done a great job… U provided me with a good read every morning and i truly loved it…
congrats on completing this stage… and good luck in finalising the whole story… U can be sure to have one confirmed reader in me!
This month was the race to get the 50,000…still rusty here and there but thanks for the encouraging words
Hey bro, that’s an amazing feat! 50,000 words?? That’s almost like a thesis!! Keep it going!
Sactyr – the last time I did a very long composition was when I was doing my law but since this time, I was doing a story, it was less torturing this time
Congrats on your NaNo WIN! It is quite an accomplishment…be proud, be ecstatic, get a good night’s sleep!