1 Crucial Lesson I Learned by Writing 50K Words in 30 Days

One of the best parts of NaNoWriMo is our incredible community of writers. Today, participant and author S. Kay Murphy shares what she learned about writing from taking on the NaNoWriMo challenge:

During the school year I teach English and Journalism to teenagers who run the gamut of characterizations from smart, funny and lovable to downright sociopathic. My days are so packed with teaching and grading that there is little time to write; that’s what summer, blissful summer is for. Some years ago, however, I made the decision to participate in NaNoWriMo.

The previous summer I had spent some time flipping through old journal entries. What I found was that I’d spent an inordinate amount of time writing about not having enough time to write. Did you catch the irony there? As I pondered on this, I began to suspect that I’d been using the “I need long blocks of time” excuse as a defense mechanism to keep myself from tackling longer, more challenging writing projects. 

I wanted to write a novel in thirty days just to prove to myself that in fact I could sustain the momentum required to produce a 50,000-word text, character arc and all. I didn’t expect it to be good writing, I just wanted to prove to my nay-saying self that it could, in truth, be done.

I knew I wanted to write a YA novel because my students give me character fodder on a daily basis. In the weeks prior to the November 1 kick-off, I thought of a premise, but I never committed anything to paper until Day One.

My schedule was daunting. I wrote 800 words in the morning before 6:00 AM, then left the house by 7:00 to teach. I returned home at 4:00, and after dinner and dog walks, I wrote another 800 words. On more than one occasion I fell asleep in my desk chair. Sometimes in the morning when I reviewed what I had written the night before, I had no memory of having written it. Whenever I felt blocked I’d simply observe my students. Their antics never failed to inspire.

And I did it. I struggled often, but I never stopped. By November 30, I had completed a novel. I didn’t think the novel itself would be any good. Turns out it was, with a bit of editing. (OK, a lot of editing.) I’m proud to say that sweet little book is now published.

Here’s what I learned: Write every day and keep going! A draft is a form in clay that can be sculpted into a work of art. Time slips away every day that we don’t practice our craft. Keep moving those fingers across the keys!

S. Kay Murphy is the author of two memoirs and a Young Adult novel entitled Ghost Grandma. She lives in Southern California, and she believes that her two “rescue” dogs and “rescue” cats have actually rescued her.

Top photo by Flickr user dawnkristal.