NaNoWriMo 2019 is history. Congratulations to everyone who took the challenge and finished. It’s no small achievement.
Now the question is what do you do with the story, here’s five I asked myself after I took the challenge for the first time in 2013.
Did It Go As Planned?
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I live with stories in my head months before I write them. Once I was done writing I asked myself if I’d written the story I’d planned.
If the answer is no, that’s not a bad thing because as I tell my students, sometimes your characters start taking over and telling you the direction they want the plot to head.
That’s what happened to me during NaNoWriMo. I wasn’t far off my original story line but I was happy about the outcome.
Are you happy with yours?
Is It Ready?
I think few of us have a perfect manuscript ready to share with the world after just one draft. There are always things that need tweaking or giving an overhaul.
What do you feel needs tweaking?
Traditional or Self Publishing
I hadn’t really begin my fiction self pubbing journey when I wrote during NaNoWriMo so I knew going into it the story was something I was going to offer to one of my publishers.
But how about you, do you feel this might be the perfect self publishing project for you?
What Have I learned?
If nothing else, NaNoWriMo is a great learning experience and teaches you a lot about yourself as a writer…or maybe not a writer. Perhaps you’ve figured out writing isn’t for you or maybe you’re a short story writer. Either way it’s been worthwhile.
Do I Need A Break?
It’s a grueling 30 days, but some people feel now that they have the writing every day thing under their belt, they can’t stop. Decide whether you need a break or want to keep going.
I’d love to hear about your own NaNoWriMo experience and I’m sure others would too so feel free to leave a comment.