How did I do during NaNoWriMo 2019?
I had a great start to NaNoWriMo. The first day I wrote over 7,000 words! But as the days went on, I started to struggle. I realized I wasn't writing the first draft, but I was actually writing a discovery or zero draft as some call it.
What's the difference between a first draft and a zero/discovery draft?
A discovery draft is more when you forget about structure and just write to develop your ideas and world. It's almost like an entire document of brainstorming.
Don't get me wrong, I have an outline plus the story beats all mapped out, and I did write entire chapters during Nano. However, there were certain areas that I just couldn't go into detail during Nano. Instead I wrote lengthy bullet points or notes to myself about ideas, the magic system, or world building. Plus, I put a lot of placeholders for certain names and places I haven't decided on yet.
What did I work on during NaNoWriMo?
I worked on my new YA fantasy WIP (work in progress) that has seven mages who must work together to save their world. Since I do not have a title for it yet I'm calling it #ProjectMages for now.
So did I win NaNoWriMo this year?
Technically, no, I did not. But I am happy with the progress I did make during Nano. I wrote 41k, which is a huge accomplishment. Currently, I'm working more on my discovery draft to finish it, and hopefully, in January revise it into an actual first draft for my CP to read. :)
For updates and more on #ProjectMages click the button below.