NaNoWriMo: Week Two Wrap Up

NaNoWriMo has been the perfect platform to write the story I didn't know how to write. By committing myself to put pen to paper, I've been able to write fragments of the story I've envisioned for so long. The story, that I've had so much trouble putting to paper, is slowly working its way towards the image in my imagination. I know more than half the things I've written probably will not make the final draft of novel. Not everything I have right now will make the cut; so much will be changed! But those words that I hold on the page are a starting point, and isn't that worth something in it's self?

Throughout this process - when I've actually had the opportunity to write-, I've found it really hard not to edit for a number of reasons. Editing is where the magic happens, where words that initially have no meaning or just don't run smoothly become lyrically awesome. Where raw ideas are polished and primed. It really is like music to the ears, when you hear those words climb off the page and perfectly encapsulate the moments you see enfolding before you. And that magic does not happen the first time round! This je ne sais quoi happens the second-third or even fourth time around, where you're whizzing through the words, and polishing the raw material into a masterpiece - prepared to wow the reader. It's so hard for me not to edit during this experience, because editing adds so much more value (and sometimes more words too!). It's where a simple expression can become legendary - worthy of being quoted one day. But without the foundation of words on the page, editing is not possible. It simply can't happen. That is one of the most important lessons I've learnt along the way, and is one I hope to remember long after the end of NaNoWriMo 2014. 

For all of you participating in NaNoWriMo, have you been feeling the same pinch? Let's talk about our experiences!