I DIDN'T WIN NANO!This blog is for those that did not win NaNo.
I always cover this question, What is NaNo? Go here.
I DIDN'T WIN
So you didn't win. It's not the end of the world. It's not even really that bad. There are a few questions we should ask. We'll go over some things that might help you figure out why you didn't win, and try and evaluate what you can do better next time, if you want there to be a next time.
Why didn't you win?
There are many things that go wrong, and we'll cover a few. First, some people always get sick during Nano, something will happen that just totally stops them from having anytime to write. Family comes to visit, the phone won't stop ringing, or maybe you just got a new puppy or a baby. These are things that happen and life goes on. 
Maybe you don't work well under pressure. You ended up sitting looking at a blank screen and you didn't have plot lines bounding into your mind. We all don't work alike, so don't feel bad if you are not a Nanonite. Some of us work at a slower pace, some of us don't work under pressure, and some of us just like to take our time and write at our own pace.
I tried I really did!
To those of you that really tried and you just couldn't make it, I say, try again next year. Have a Nano dry run another month and war against yourself or some other writing companions. Study how those that win do win. Join a Word War group, there are many things you can do to improve your chances of winning.
What did I do wrong?
I added this topic because to be honest I think any writer can write 50k or more in a given month. It
just takes a lot of determination and time with your rear in a chair. I don't have kids I have dogs, so it may take getting a baby sitter, or writing while the kids are at school, but it's only 1666.7 a day. It can be done. I myself and many of our Nano Members have written over 12 thousand words in one 24 hour period. It can be done, people may not do it every day but the goal of 1667 a day is very attainable.
To me it's a great learning experience with cool freebies as an incentive. I have learned many things from Nano and here are a few. You don't have to edit when you write, you can write that scene and it will work, even if it seems crazy at the time. You can write 12k in a 24 hour period. You can write 50k in a month or more. You don't even have to outline to get a good story, you can just grab a character and put him on the street and once he's starts walking something will happen. I have gained so many great friends from this contest. Nano got me started in 2009 on the road to self publishing. It introduced me to Createspace and KDP. It has taught me that Word Wars are important to getting those deadlines met. I'm sure others would say many other things too that Nano has taught them.
Win or Lose
It does not matter if you win or lose, it is all about learning, finding new friends, and trying to push yourself to those out there limits. Each year those of us that battle with the Nano Beast, we learn something new, we gain new friends, and we learn that we can do things we never thought possible if we put our mind to it!!
Images from Samantha Fury
Jack and Max very willing models!!
Thanks for Reading Feel free to comment!!!
