July stats

July Stats:

Subs: 0
Rejections: 1
Stories at Market: 6
Publications:  2 -- Lorelei Signal and Shock Totem
Days writing at least 100 words per day:  369
Words Written:  52,422

Yes, I did Julnawrimo.  Yes I finished.  No am not anywhere close to having a story in those 50K of stilted words.  Yes, I probably have at least 20k that needs to be cut.  But I feel it was a worthwhile exercise in learning to write a set amount of words per day in a short amount of time.  I had a goal of 2k a day, which would have resulted in my being done with my 50k on July 25 or 26, since I didn't write 2k on July 4th.  But I was 6k short by that day.  And then I hit a real slump for another few days.  I'm glad I gave myself the extra room, because I ended up doing over 5k the last 2 days to finish.

Here are my pro's and con's in doing a Novel in a Month Challenge:

Pro:
You can end up with a very rough complete first draft if you stick to the basics.
Writing this fast will make it easier to remember what you've already written.
Good for plotting out the storyline
Good for character basics
It does help you realize what details need to be thought about beforehand (maps, town names, level of technology, do they have books and paper?  

Con:
Your writing will not improve from this exercise.
You will not end up with a "Book"
Not optimal for character development