The 8 Stages of NaNoWriMo

I am proud to announce that this is the third year in a row that I have completed the National Novel Writing Month goal of writing 50,000 words in the month of November! The new manuscript I was working on isn’t quite done yet (there are still a few more chapters to be written), but hitting the word count goal was still very exciting!

It goes without saying that 2020 has been a crazy year for everyone. For me though, this was also my first semester of college, and trying to fit my writing into my school schedule let me reflect a lot on my process. There are certain similarities I’ve noticed in my three years of participation, and I thought I’d share them in a handy dandy list that outlines my personal “stages” of NaNoWriMo.

Stage 1: Excited Perfectionism

I love and hate this first stage. I love it because it’s the beginning of something new! Step one of a new journey, day one of a new adventure… page one of a new story! It’s inherently exciting to start a project that I have been plotting and planning and brainstorming about for months… but at the same time, it’s also intimidating. As I write my first words, I can’t help but think, “How am I ever going to write 50,000?!”

I trust the process though. It’s worked before, and I can be sure it will work again. Besides, no one builds a wall with all 50,000 bricks at once, and the same can certainly be said for books.

The other funny part of this stage is how intent I get on crafting the most perfect beginning that I can. Now, this certainly isn’t a bad thing: beginnings are important. They set the tone for the rest of the book and grip your reader right from the get-go! But the part I find funny is the contrast it presents with my writing later on in the process. At this point, I’m wrestling between synonyms and debating sentence structure, while later I’m just thankful to get anything on the page! We won’t jump too far ahead though, and instead I’ll discuss the next place my excitement takes me…

Stage 2: Character Discovery

I do a lot of planning before I actually write anything for these projects. I outline the plot, figure out world-building mechanics, and of course, create characters. This third step is my favorite as I decide on names, relationships, and build elaborate and emotional backstories. It’s something I’ve been doing for much longer than I’ve been writing: just ask anyone who knew me in middle school!

But there is a shift from this stage of creation to actually placing them into the context of a story. How do they speak? How do they interact with others? What are their quirks and mannerisms? These are things you can plan out beforehand, and I often do, but words on the page as a part of a grander narrative have a way of shifting and twisting these expectations until they’re just right. The stiffness goes away, that one feature you were debating on clicks, or you may even recognize the need for a whole new person! This stage near the beginning of the project is one of my favorites as my plans become a reality and change into something better right before my eyes!

Stage 3: Rabbit Trails

I like to plan, yes, but I also consider myself a bit of a “discovery writer.” By that I mean I know the general direction a chapter is heading and what ultimately needs to be accomplished, but the details are hidden until I get there. Because of this, I often find connections or recognize bigger issues while I’m in the process of writing, and that leads to rabbit trails off the main plot. These sometimes manifest as side characters or just another story beat I’ll add to improve the overall project. Regardless though, this is the stage where I diverge from a lot of my carefully made plans and do a lot of editing on my chapter outline!

Stage 4: Outline Dependency

I know what I just said about diverging from my outline and discovering through the process, and that is all well and good in the beginning stages when your creative juices are still flowing strong. But then stage 4 hits near the middle of the month, and you start to feel the strain on your mind (and even body if you’re like me)! You check your word count more often, the novelty excitement has worn off, and it’s a struggle to find things to write about.

Behold: Outline Dependency!

I’ve mentioned my precious chapter outline before, but I am not remiss to do so again, as it is the real MVP of NaNoWriMo. No ideas? Refer back to the chapter outline. Can’t remember what happens next? Chapter outline. Forgot what you already wrote 40 pages ago? Chapter outline. Want to get excited about the ending again? Chapter Outline.

This is where all that prep and all those brainstorming sessions really shine through, becoming your best friend when the writer’s block hits you!

Stage 5: The Unconscious Writing Zone

Before you start to get excited thinking NaNoWriMo gives you the ability to write in your sleep, I’m here to tell you that no, I’m not literally unconscious.

But it kind of feels that way.

This stage happens somewhat simultaneously with Stage 4, but also has its own distinct quirks. The big one is that when I look back at these particular chapters, I honestly have no recollection of writing them. Sometimes its bad, and I can tell I must have been struggling through them. But other times there’s some really quality stuff tucked away in those chapters, and I think, wow! I can’t believe I wrote that!

One might also call this stage, “The Zone,” when you are just so in the thick of it, in such a rigorous routine, that you honestly feel like a writing robot. Or a writing zombie, depending on your sugar and caffeine intake! Words might be a struggle in the moment, but before you know it, it’s the 23rd of the month and you’ve written over 80 pages of book!

It’s honestly like waking up from a writing stupor!

Stage 6: Second Wind

This is when you look at your word count and realize you’ve hit 40,000 words. You look at the calendar and realize it’s the 25th and you’re still on track for finishing.

You’re almost there! Let’s GO!

With renewed vigor, I give my outline a second look, reset my sluggish brain with some cocoa, and jump back in with the same excitement I had at the beginning! Just as it’s daunting to look at that first page and know you have so much to create, it’s that same amount of encouraging to look back at your pages upon pages of work and realize how far you’ve already come! 10,000 more words? You hit that baby milestone ages ago! This last step will be a piece of cake!

Right?

Stage 7: False Summits

If you’ve ever climbed a mountain, you know what a false summit is. You’re hiking along, almost at the top (or so people are telling you), and you see a very promising ridge. It appears as though there is nothing beyond that. It appears that you are about to reach the top.

You eagerly crest it, only to discover that the path continues to a much higher and grander summit that was just hidden behind the one you now stand on. Your hopes are somewhat crushed as you realize there is still much more work to do.

That’s what Stage 7 is like. I’ll write for hours, certain I’ll find myself at the finish line, only to discover that I barely pushed out 1,500 words. Where sentences once flowed like water, I now find myself scraping for ideas at the bottom of a dry creek bed. Your word count slows down while time seems to speed up, and the fatigue hits you like a storm wall.

As with mountain climbing, this is the stage where I wonder: why on earth do I put myself through this? Repeatedly? How did I ever think this was fun?

But then…

Stage 8: “Underwhelming” Finish

I say underwhelming, not because the victory isn’t exhilarating, but because I often don’t realize I’ve hit it! I’m sitting somewhere mundane, probably in my pajamas, maybe in the bathroom, drinking my umpteenth cup of cocoa and wishing I’d invested in some blue light glasses. I habitually check my word count and…

There’s that glorious 5. Staring me in the face, pretending it’s just another number.

And with that, I smile, stop mid-sentence, enter my word count, and celebrate by announcing to my family that I have free time again! And while I jokingly shut my computer and put the story away without a second thought, I am left with a very satisfying feeling of accomplishment as I recharge, preparing myself to look back at it in the future. After all, when it comes to writing, the work is never really done. But this first step is a necessary one, and it’s alright to relish in that victory for a little while!

Before that first year of NaNoWriMo, I had never truly finished a book manuscript. I had lots of ideas, wrote short stories, and imagined the books I might publish someday. But to see those dreams start to become a reality, with thousands of words and hundreds of pages that I actually wrote with my own hands was truly life-changing. And all I needed to get there was a goal and a deadline: things I know don’t work for everyone, but really were the last piece of the puzzle for me!

Hopefully, some of you may consider joining me on this crazy journey next year! It’s tough, but when you stand on top of that mountain and see how far you’ve come, I think you’ll find it was all worth it in the end!

Until next time my friends, Namárië!