NaNo Slump

November 22, 2010

Well here we are, over halfway through NaNo, and I don't know about you, but I have hit the 30k slump. I have participated in NaNo for 3 years, and each year I find that the hardest part of the novel to write is that little bit after the halfway mark. I dash my way through to 25k. Then...it hits, what do I write now???  It is time to start wrapping up the book, and I am not ready!  I hit the pep talks and the procrastination station; I clean the house, anything to avoid writing those few words to get myself to 40k. Once I hit 40k, it is all downhill. I find a way to bring it all together for that happy or not so happy ending.  

This year, I have tried out a new theory that has gotten me through the 30k slump. I just kept asking myself, well, what happens next. I quit worrying about the number of words, and remembered there is a story here. The next thing I knew, I was at 36k words. Of course, the extra caffeine and sugar helped as well. So if you too are suffering from the 30k slump, take heart and ask yourself, then what happened? The next thing you know, you will be at 40k and then on to victory!

Jennifer B.
North Oak Branch