Keeping promises to myself : Winning NaNoWriMo 2016

In the last week of October, I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo 2016 and write an entire novel of 50 K words in the month of November. It was a difficult challenge, but from a very young age, I get attracted towards challenges. The thrill of overcoming a challenge excites me.

I sketched the plot in the last week of October and embarked on a new journey of writing the book titled "Is it me you're looking for?" on 1st November. I was full of energy on the 1st week of November and managed to write 18 K words within 7 days. 

However, it was the 2nd week when things became really tough as I faced an emotional crisis and was also overburdened with tight deadlines. The pace decreased as a result. 

In the 3rd week, I had many social commitments such as friend's wedding and family functions that also made it hard to continue writing the novel along with the regular workload. 

However, it was the 4th week when I pulled up my socks and decided that, come what may, I am going to finish the novel I am working on. And on 29th November just before the clock struck midnight, I hit the 50 K mark and completed the 1st draft of my novel.

I validated my work and was awarded this beautiful certificate by NaNoWriMo.

I was overwhelmed with emotions as I received the certificate and realized that I had finally kept a promise to myself. After a long time, I gifted myself something that I will always be grateful for. This one month of discipline, hard work and not giving up had shaped me both as a writer and as a human being.

Generally, I take 4-6 months to pen down the 1st draft of a novel. For the first time, I did it in one month. This itself is a huge motivation for me. Now I can't wait to go back to the novel after taking a week break and read what I have written so that I can edit it accordingly. 

Thanks to all you lovely people who wished me all the best when I shared on my blog that I am going to attempt NaNoWriMo this year. Blogging took a back seat last month due to this, but December will definitely be full of blogging. I have so much to write and share in my most favorite space. 

NaNoWriMo: All set for a new challenge!

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I have been hearing about NaNoWriMo, which is the National Novel Writing Month since the last 4 years of my writing career. However, I couldn't motivate myself to take part in it because writing 50,000 words in a month along with managing regular workload (content writing in my case) doesn't sound easy at all. 

Moreover, there is no denying that I am so lazy, especially in the weekends. I hardly skip a weekend without catching up my friends, partying or going to a movie. So I never dared to attempt NaNoWriMo. 

However, this year, things are different. I want to challenge myself for NaNoWriMo due to plenty of reasons. First of all, I have been really bad to 'the writer in me' this year. During late August, I was so disheartened due to some reasons that I almost decided to quit writing. Even thinking of it makes me shiver now. How could I have even thought of that? Writing is like breathing to me, and even for some vulnerable minutes, I thought of giving it up. 

After that episode, I had a contemplative September when I rediscovered myself and made certain changes in my life to promote my well-being and to fuel my creativity. I made peace with the fact that writing is the number one priority in my life. It is the purpose and meaning of my life. I cannot let anything, no matter how important, take me away from it. 

I am having a wonderful, festive October with plenty of celebrations and travelling. All my close friends are Libras and therefore, October is all about birthday parties and celebrations for me. It was less work, more play. 

So now that I am all recharged with the celebrations, I have decided to commit myself to NaNoWriMo from 1st to 30th November. You can find me (Purba_Chakraborty) on the NaNoWriMo website. Please add me as a writing buddy if you are also participating in it this year. 

The tentative title of my novel is "Is it me you're looking for?" I wanted to write this book since a long time, but I have always postponed it, for some reason or the other. So, I feel that NaNoWriMo is the perfect push that I need to write this book. 

Rumi once said: "What you seek is seeking you."

The story of "Is it me you're looking for?" takes inspiration heavily from this quote. It is an emotionally intense, gripping and moving story about lost love, broken dreams and the power of miracles.

I am spending these days plotting and preparing for NaNoWriMo. I really don't remember the last time when I was so excited to start working on something new. 

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo? Do you have any tips for me? Please feel free to share.