Perspective: A Modify NaNoWriMo Goal for 2018

Well, it is that time of the year again. In a few hours, (or none) it will be November 1st. The annual time to start writing for National Novel Writing Month. For those uninitiated, the goal is to write 50,000 words or more for the month of November. The point is to get writers to write the minimum amount of words required for a novel, the 50K count. As an aspiring novelist and avid reader, the NaNoWriMo as always fascinated me. So, you think I would be brimming with joy for this month. But I came to some deep thinking about this whole challenge and my new perspective has allowed me to clarify a few things. You see, I want to participate in NaNoWriMo, especially since I join the pony fandom. But things quickly unraveled in the past few Novembers.

A quick rundown:

2015: Was in the midst of writing my first fanfic for MLP. But I started in early October and kept writing to the end of December. The fanfic reached up to 70,000 words which is infuriating to me because it proves that I could reach the goal of a novel if I put my mind to it. But I didn't want to stop writing that fic or cheat to have it in a NaNo because I started a month early.

2016: Well, then I was working 3rd Shift for my job because, at the time, I wanted to transfer from my old place and shift in order to go back to University. Because I was working full time and the semester was clashing with my old work schedule. I figured 3rd Shift was going to give me time to write and go to school...

WORST DECISION EVER.
(But the silver lining is that it gave me a chance to read Project Horizons.)

2017: Well, I really have no excuses here. I guess I was sort of figuring that I was done with MLP. I mean after reading Project Horizon, I felt like I couldn't compete. I did back in September of 2017 write more of another fic, a prequel to my other work. But I sort of gave up on it. Sure, I posted the two on here but I felt unmotivated throughout this year...

The year 2018. Present Time. So, yeah, after being in the fandom for roughly three years and not much of my writing gets done, I felt...confused. The enthusiasm I had for this show just evaporated. Between the brony drama, the political climate, and the fact that 2019 will be the last BronyCon with Season 9 probably be the last season, I felt like that it was pointless to contribute something to this fandom. I, too, was beginning to feel the stagnation of the Brony Fandom. Yet, I was still reading these stories, going through them like addictive drugs. I can't just give up. I touch on this in one of my previous blogs but I felt like I need to reinstate it here. I need a blank page. I need to start over.

I realized why I took my other two fics down. The main reason, really. Back in October of 2015, I was riding the high of the Brony Fandom. I was in the middle of reading Fallout Equestria and was coming up with an idea of my own. I told myself, no, swore to myself that I would at least one fanfic of Friendship is Magic. And Fallout Equestria was giving me an idea. In the midst of my pages on my desk, I have the outlines and notes of this story. But I didn't write it. For one, I was worry that a certain aspect of the story was not going to work unless I have a solid reason for it. Two, I didn't want it to become a Fallout Equestria rip off. But third, I felt like I need to explain the backstory first, so I wrote prequels to the novel. I spent years agonizing over what to write for this series and what I should get rid of. It became a huge mess. Needless to say, the entire idea collapse and I felt like giving up on the whole thing. However, after three years, the idea is still persistent. It wants to be written. So, if I am to write one fanfiction for MLP, then this is it. I don't want this idea to die. So, I'm putting all my effort into this story.

So, why I'm I writing this blog? Well, I came to a conflict. I wanted to write a new fic for NaNoWriMo. But I wanted to write this fic. I realized that by the time November ends, my new resolve might be diminished. I also felt like none of my other ideas would suffice the 50K challenge. I realized the positive and negative aspect of NaNoWriMo. While doing a NaNoWriMo is good for discipline and forces a writer to crank out roughly 2,000 words a day (which believe me, I need), the problem is that you have to FINISH a novel within that timeframe. Like many authors have said, you can't write a great novel within that timeframe. I knew with my previous writing experiences that I would not have a completed novel within the month. It is because that the 50K is actually not a real goal. While it works for the end cap of a novel, you're actually encouraged to go above and beyond the word count and write as much as you can. The realistic number count for a complete novel is roughly around 80K of words. So, theoretically, I could write 80K for a novel but it wouldn't be complete.

So, I come to a conclusion, a compromise, and most importantly, a goal. I am going to write this fanfic and hope to past the 50K mark before November 30th. I know that this novel wouldn't be complete at 50K or even 100K words. But damn it, if this is my last attempt to write a pony fanfic, so be it. I am going to ensure that I have something substantial in 2019. So, that's my goal. 1 month to hit that 50K goal. If I succeded, then I will publish it. If I fail, then I fail. But rest assured, I will not have my story folder be empty for long.

Thanks for reading this.

Peace be with you.
Ignited Sage