That’s right, I give up on NaNoWriMo this year. The novel I was writing wasn’t worth continuing. Instead I’m going to return to short stories and the novel I’ve been working on. In my head–where I’m always a winner–I’ll keep an unofficial word count. I’m proud to say that I waited until the first week to quit, even though I had already given up by Saturday.
I know I’m not the only one out there. Post here when you’ve finally decided to throw in the towel. I’ll pour you a drink and light you a cigarette. Life’s too precious to waste on effort. Just sit right back and stop trying. Maybe there’s something else you’d rather be doing than typing. There, now doesn’t that feel better?
Yeah, first weekend is a tough one. You get over the initial buzz and just sit there that first weekend all tired and drained while everyone else is out at a party, and asking yourself what possible reason there could be to put yourself through all of this. I’d say second week is the worst; if you make it past the weekend it’s just a slog all week long. For me, things pick up after that and the third and fourth are all about cruising speed. The novel has rapport with you at that point if it is working at all. I’d say my drop-outs were all entirely in the first or somewhere in the second week.
Something to do other than typing, though? I’m afraid I don’t follow.
I didn’t exactly quit, because I didn’t exactly begin. In fact, I didn’t even approximately begin.
Anyone who can plug away at it, in that format, with those constraints, and produce something to be proud of, hat’s off to you. Good job. Well done.
Not for me.
Maybe it’s because I spent so many years (don’t ask) hacking away at drivel, dross, and dreck for clients and editors, writing to length, to time, to specs, that I revel now in freedom to write what/when/as I choose.
As for the drink, nice of you to offer, but it’s a long haul from here to there. I’ll pour one here, and drink to your health there.
I have been tempted to quit - most of my actual writing this week has been drivel, but I’ve also been hammering away at an outline and I’m quite happy with that. So although I’ll probably be ditching most of the 50,000 words (if I write that many), my aim is that by the end of the month I have something worth working on properly for the next few months, rather than just an ill-defined daydream. I kind of feel like I’m doing it wrong, though, because I’m writing it all over the place. I went back to the beginning today and was writing a part halfway through the other day. I wish I could start at the beginning and get sucked in without just thinking: “Wow, this is crap and going nowhere.”
Still playing about with my version of Chapter 19 of The Dark, I have just typed:
"So it’s all a stage, is it Bill? Y’re probably right…Ann thinks you are…so you must be." Nick had waxed philosophical, but poorly. Ann had countered with, “Yeah. We’re all bit part players in a soddin’ farce.” Spooky, Kev…eh? D’y’ think we’re linked?
Sadly, I haven’t had the opportunity to quit as I never started. I did toy with the idea briefly, but just couldn’t justify the time commitment when there are other things I could be writing.
The plot of the next one is coming together…!
It comes from the old english meaning of the word cod meaning scrotum. (Hence ‘cod-piece’).
Cod philosophy means philiosophy of the scrotum, or in other words a load of old balls.
DISCLAIMER:
There is a strong chance I’m making that up
I’d say second week is the worst; if you make it past the weekend it’s just a slog all week long. For me, things pick up after that and the third and fourth are all about cruising speed. The novel has rapport with you at that point if it is working at all. I’d say my drop-outs were all entirely in the first or somewhere in the second week.
Spooky, Kev…eh? D’y’ think we’re linked? 
(Hence ‘cod-piece’).