Life, and writing, can be quite the ride.

NaNoWriMo 2019: Learning from Failure

Because failure is merely an opportunity to learn disguised as a setback

This is my third year participating in the National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo. For the past two years, it was fun, and relatively painless to bang out 50,000 words in 30 days. I wrote a Young Adult Fantasy novel in 2017 (still being edited), and a memoir-based book in 2018 (still to be edited).

For this edition of NaNoWriMo, I’ll start with the end: I failed.

I did not “win” because I did not log 50,000 words by the time midnight came around on November 30th. Of course, failure is relative and in retrospect, I think this setback is exactly what I needed to continue progressing on my writing journey.

Learning from setbacks or what others may consider “failure” is part of the path to success.

Here are three lessons that I learned from NaNoWriMo 2019.

Lesson 1: The importance of picking the right project

For my first NaNoWriMo, I had a story I had been working on in my head for a few weeks. The night before, another idea popped into my head and won my heart. As a result, I wrote the backstory to one of my favourite characters from when I used to play Dungeons & Dragons. I was still making up a story from scratch, but it felt like a homecoming.

This year, I was on the fence and no little voice saved the day.

I started writing a novel based on a brand-new idea, and while I got almost 10k words down within the first week, it felt… unripe. That’s when I got a flash of inspiration for the sequel of my first fantasy novel, and I switched projects.

It was the right thing to do, but it muddled my wordcount as I had to start over (to be fair, I would not have “won” even if I added those 10k to the counter).

Everyone has their own way of writing, of approaching projects and challenges. What I learnt this year is that I do best when ideas have had time to sprout and maybe even grow roots in my mind. This sequel had been simmering in my mind since before I even typed “The End” back in 2017.

Knowing whether you need time to develop the story — whether subconsciously or explicitly, or that can hit the ground running with a fresh story idea is key.

Lesson 2: Knowing if you’re a Planner or a Pantser

Building on the challenge of choosing the right project to work on comes the question of organization.

Do you tend to plan ahead, or do you improvise (also known as “pantsing”)?

Under most circumstances, I am a planner. I can take things in stride and adapt, but I love organizing events, putting together to-do lists, the whole shebang. I always have bits of paper and notebooks on me, with notes and ideas and lists.

When I had my “aha” moment on what the sequel to my first NaNoWriMo novel could be, I hesitated but decided to switch to this new project. A vague outline took shape in my head, and I typed it up. This was in part due to it being the first year I was trying out the program Scrivener, so I wanted to use all possible functions. An outline seemed like a great first document to have in my research folder…

The bad news is that somehow, the excitement and energy that radiated from the “aha” moment went into that outline, and left me a bit deflated for the actual writing.

Call me crazy, but I think I should have stuck to notes on paper, with the typing reserved for the full story. It turns out I am neither a planner or a pantser but a hybrid, a plantser if you will. Lesson learned.

Lesson 3: Carving out the time and brain space to write

NaNoWriMo is about showing up. Many believe that doing something for 21 days creates a habit. While that is not quite true scientifically speaking (the original quote says a minimum of 21 days and more recent research suggests 2–8 months as a very general window of time required for new habits to form), taking part in NaNoWriMo is a wonderful opportunity to prioritize your writing. Writing every day for a month — or almost — is a wonderful tool to reinforce your writing habits, fuel them, and take your skills to the next level.

Year 1 and Year 2 worked that way for me. This year made me realize that I have a lot going on. Too little and can lose focus; too much and I am spread thinner than a first timer’s home-made pasta dough. Right now, the feeling is dough-y at best.

Beyond that, regardless of how excited I am about a writing project, if I do not show up and allow myself the brain space to think creatively and write, I’ll hit wall after wall.

Reasons, not to say excuses, abound. Writing is still a hobby for me, so it can be hard to justify spending time on it every day when other activities generate income. Project deadlines don’t care about my personal development plans and desire to improve as a writer. And then, there’s everyday life.

I live in Portugal, on a farm with my husband and 30 animals. Our main goal is to renovate the space into an eco-tourism project. I freelance for a few clients, focusing on writing as well as project management. I am a wedding celebrant. This fall, I signed up for Portuguese lessons and a “Gourmet & Edible Mushrooms” course.

There is ALWAYS something else to do other than write.

Especially because I cannot just sit down and write. Well, on some days I can. On other days, I need to quiet my buzzing brain and focus it before I can do words justice.

What next?

Like any good rider, if you fall — you don’t give up. You dust yourself off, figure out what you did wrong or could do differently, and get back on the horse.

Three NaNoWriMo’s in, I’ve tripped into a new phase of my writing. It is no longer the honeymoon. I have a few manuscripts drafted or at various stages of editing, and a to-do list on par with Santa’s Naughty List.

My challenge is no longer figuring out whether or not I can write books. The questions are: How can I integrate writing into my life, so it’s part of the rhythm of my days? What ritual can I link it to so that it becomes second nature to clear my mind before I sit down and write, every day or almost?

1. I now have a weekly call with a fellow writer, so we can keep each other accountable and motivated.
2. Just as I linked taking a daily nutritional supplement to brushing my teeth (it works! haven’t missed more than two days in almost three months!), maybe I’ll find an anchor to link my daily writing habit to.
3. Podcasts are proving to be an invaluable source of insight into the world of publishing. I’m loving “Write or Die” but am always open to other suggestions if you have writing podcasts you swear by!

And then, there’s always next year’s NaNoWriMo.

What does your writing journey look like? Ever tried NaNoWriMo, or do you have other challenges and competitions to recommend?