#Wordcount Is a Four-Letter (Non)Word

It's NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) which means that my Twitter feed is filled with inspiring posts about people getting 'er done and one very loaded phrase: word count.

Don't get me wrong. I think NaNoWriMo is an amazing concept and I know that it is very successful for a lot of people. But sometimes I see people writing things like: "I wrote 4,000 words today" and I just think, WOW. I don't think I've written 4,000 words in a single day ever in my entire life.

Inevitably, this has led me to guilt or wondering if I'm doing something wrong as a writer. Sometimes I have to give myself the pep talk that I know every writer has heard multiple times throughout their career: everyone's process is different.

One of my problems is that I am an underwriter by nature. My first drafts are usually abominably short--glorified outlines I call them. It's because I'm usually spending them trying to figure out the bare bones of my plot (and also probably from my years writing screenplays where everything was 120 pages long. 120 pages does not a manuscript make). Then in multiple rounds of revisions, I go through and add things like subplots, characterizations, and setting details. Then, usually, in further rounds of revisions, I try to connect the subplots, minor characters and other details to my main plot. Honestly, I should really start calling myself a reviser instead of a writer.

But being an underwriter means that word count can often be a huge enemy. Especially when writing that crucial first draft when I know that what I'm writing isn't necessarily very good or at all living up to the idea in my head, but that I have to somehow muddle my way through it anyhow. Why? I can't revise without a first draft!

So I've learned not to measure my worth by word count. Instead, it's more important for my process to just sit down and write almost every day. Even if it's for half-an-hour or forty-five minutes (and, to be honest, it usually is). I'm the person gritting my teeth and trying my best to ignore that little counter at the bottom of Word. Until the second draft, that is. Then I'm the person who's saying: er, now I need a subplot that will add 15,000 words.

My point is: if you are an underwriter like me, try not to fret too much. I've still written and finished multiple manuscripts of adequate length and you can too. And if you are writing 4,000 words a day: honestly, I am in awe...you freak. :-)

NaNoWriMo --> NaNoRevMo?

As you may know, November is National Novel Writing Month, often shortened as NaNoWriMo. It's when a lot of writers pledge to get their novels completed by the time November 30th rolls around. If you follow a lot of writers on Twitter, expect to see word count tweets galore!

I know a lot of writers have had success with this. I even recall Stephanie Perkins writing in her acknowledgments that she finished the first draft of Anna and the French Kiss because of NaNoWriMo.

I've actually never attempted NaNoWriMo before but, as it so happens, the timing worked out that I'm just about to embark on edits on a manuscript I wrote earlier this year.

So I decided: I think instead of NaNoWriMo, I'm going to spend the month of November trying to get all my edits done. NaNoWriMo will TRANSFORM...into NaNoRevMo. (Originally, I was going to go with NaNoEdMo, but I think NaNoRevMo sounds much more Transformer-like, don't you?)

I fully admit that revisions are much easier for me than writing first drafts, so I know I'm not going to to be doing anything near as impressive as an 50K word count in 30 days. But I do have some extensive editing work to do and I think having the month-long goal will help spur me along!

Anyone else partaking in NaNoWriMo this month or, like me, in NaNoRevMo? Has anyone done it in the past and perhaps has some advice or wisdom to share?