Welcome to MuNoWriMo 2022! Why not start/finish/edit your manuscript with us?

[cloudmessenger]

Good morning @Iceniii @MargaretThursday @TheCountessofFitzdotterel @StellaOlivetti @Drybird2020 @Hippywannabe @britneyisfree @snowqu33n @dogsdogsgods @loveisagirlnameddaisy @vivariumvivariumsvivaria @BearWoman @Snow1n @toomuchfaster @samvimesboots @Ylfa @52andblue @Dellabob123 @AintNoPartyLikeANumber10Party @Superwomble @FledglingFountainPen @IShouldBeWriting

It's the 1st of February, and Day 1 of Mumsnet Novel Writing Month 2022.

Check in here daily for moral support and chat about your writing process.

The idea is to keep one another focussed on completing an activity during the month of February, whether that's a 50,000 word first draft (for the pantsers), pulling together a long-considered draft from notes, doing an edit, or just taking time every day to get thoughts down on the page.

As life got in the way for me, in December and January, I've decided to spend the next 2 weeks progressing the MS I fell 15k words short of completing during NaNoWriMo November last year. After that, I may move onto the new idea I had originally earmarked for Feb.

Everyone is welcome, just chime in. And don't worry if you miss a day, obviously, or life gets in the way. It's supposed to be supportive, not a millstone around the neck, or a source of unwelcome pressure.

Let's give ourselves both the carrot (pats on the back for one another), and the 'stick' (a daily word count).

On that note, I'm off to grapple with my too-long and unwieldy fifth chapter, and extend the story by 1,500 words.

Good luck, everybody! May we all experience creative clarity, and a sense of achievement, this month.

#MuNoWriMo #MuNoWriMo22

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/creative_writing/4414710-Mumsnet-MuNoWriMo-in-February-2022?msgid=112923683#112923683

@snowqu33n is that your first draft that you're now editing? I'm excited about that part but am not super confident on the technical details of writing. I'll need a book for that part of editing.

Another 1600ish words yesterday.

DAY 16 oh so much life getting in the way of word count! I’ve tried starting writing at 6.15 but then DS1 gets up and the window closes. Evening times are not currently full of zest and focus. Someone lie to me that I can make up for it next week and have finished my 1st draft by the end of the month? It’s possible, surely. But maybe not 80k words in total…

How are all you lot getting along? Any joy?

Good for you @IShouldBeWriting @Icenii Your posts only just came through for me, for some reason

How much more do you need to do @cloudmessenger? I wanted to finish my first draft too and I think we are on similar word count? I'm at about 43k.

These are serious and impressive word counts. I have written nothing today … home from work at 5 and instantly asleep on sofa till 730. My cold is back with a vengeance and I can’t focus. But I am well into chapter 3 and on course to finish ch4 by end of Feb.
@IShouldBeWriting I once deleted 25000 words because they were so dreadful (and unfixable).

Great going everyone! Are we really about to enter the final week already?

Still at 13.5k typed/18k ish handwritten - less than I’d aimed for but more than I’ve ever achieved before so I’m awarding a 🏅 to myself anyway. And 🏆 for all!

I'm amazed at the handwritten count! I'd never be able to read what I write.

Did another 1690 last night and am the 45k mark but back to work today. I'm hoping I can hit 50k by end of Sunday. I'm further along in my word count for where I am in the story so slightly concerned I'll have too much.

Gosh you’re so close to 50k already! How will you celebrate crossing that finish line?

I write like a precocious toddler with only a slight touch of dyspraxia so it’s quite easy to read 😅

45k now @Icenii
Blood from a stone. I was supposed to have more help over half-term, and ended up with none, so hey ho. Hopefully I’ll make up ground once they’re back to school.

Brava @Ylfa and commiserations @StellaOlivetti

Oh thank you @cloudmessenger I’m feeling better today and have hit my word count so feeling quite chipper. Huge respect to those doing this around proper jobs and dependent children … I take my hat off to you. I wondered … when we get to the end of February, would anyone be up for sharing what kind of thing they’ve been writing? Would be interesting to know! Just a thought.

Going slowly-won't reach 50k, but still got some done!

Slowly is still progress.

47k now but the last few scenes aren't good. I need to research the subject to make it realistic. Its about delivering a breach baby with no resource. I know nothing of this. But think I'll leave research until the second draft.

I now have seven chapters at first readable draft stage - about 20000 words. DD has 3hrs of activities today so I will be typing in the corner of the sports hall. Rainy day so no sunshine to distract.

What is your technique for getting a readable draft?

@Icenii

What is your technique for getting a readable draft?

Procrastinating, rereading, printing out, chopping up sellotaping bits of paper together, rereading. Writing plan after plan. And then finding an online group who propose writing 50,000 words in 28 days in between toddler wrangling .

That's made me smile 😃

@Icenii

What is your technique for getting a readable draft?

One of the things I find most helpful is I save it on the cloud, and then read it in bed on my phone or tablet. Just the different way of reading it helps me pick up errors.

How are we all doing?

I'm on 49,982 and started the month on 31,628 so I've written 18,354 words this month. I won't have my first draft finished as I had hoped but I've learnt a lot about writing. I'm a little concerned on how long it took me to edit a scene. Several hours more than to write the first draft but I much prefer editing than drafting. I'm making a cheat sheet of all the things I'll need to look out for, such as filler words, overused words etc. Pinterest very helpful for this.

My plan is do something everyday and hopefully have a first draft by Easter that I can edit over the summer.

Good morning! DAY 21.

7 days to go!

Half term is over, kinder back in school, and I'm at 45,500 words (eek). The last 5k words have been like wading through concrete, but the plot is now accelerating towards apotheosis.

I would feel a great sense of achievement to just hit 50k by the end of the month, even though I won't have written the whole thing in a month.

If I could push through to 55k I might even have finished the first draft...This week has manic elements, so I must pace myself a bit. Will start by aiming for 1,500 words by the end of the day, bringing me up to 47k.

Will read the thread and reply later on. Proud of those who are sticking with it. You rule, all of you.

Best of luck today, fellow scribblers! x

Half term here, no time at all.

Hello! I'm still here. I started on the month on roughly 30,000 words of a MS I began in NanoWriMo, and am ending the month on.... (drumroll)... 32,000 words.

Actually, this is better than it sounds because it is now recognisable as a MS, and I have edited and refined large tracts of guff into a more readable form. Plus I have resolved some difficulties with the dual timeline. All in the same month that every member of my family has had Covid in a relay fashion, so I have been looking after everyone, and WFH, and generally managing a bit of extra pressure.

I enjoy reading everyone's updates. Might there be a repeat writing month, @cloudmessenger ? Or possibly an ongoing support thread?

I'd love for this to be done again, life has completely got in the way this month!

That’s brilliant @Drybird2020! Especially under those circumstances, congratulations.

I’m in for another month @Snow1n, didn’t reach my target because yeah life keeps happening 🤭

I went off radar…just not hitting the targets you guys were. Think it was too ambitious a challenge for me.

However. On the plus side, something happened and I started to write 1k words daily…no idea what turn of events conjured up that, but it was a magical feeling!!

Anyway, I’ve been following your successes still, and still blown away by your abilities - well done all.

I think I will continue to go at my own pace and check in with you guys for motivation.

I'm up for another thread. I've barely wrote this week. Had a cousin's funeral this week and it threw me out of wack. Foolishly I also started reading Intuitive Editing and now have started to take some time out to plan the characters and plot a bit more and upped the stakes. But not sure doing it 70% the way through the first draft was a good idea. It's left me overwhelmed.