It's gone by scarily quickly - November is almost over! Which means that annual writing event NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is coming to an end too. But until the clock ticks over to December 1st, there are still a good few hours of precious writing time left. We spoke to NaNo author Helen Craig halfway through the event to see how her project was coming along...
Hi! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm 25, I work as a researcher for an exciting field but in a mainly office based environment, and I'm a bit of a geek.
What made you decide to sign up for NaNoWriMo?
I love the idea of something motivating me to actually sit down and write. I've always thought about it but taking that first step and announcing "I'm working on a novel, darling" just always seemed like a big leap.
Have you taken part before, and if so did you finish?
This is my first time.
What's your word count so far?
16868
What is your book about? (If you want to tell us, of course.)
My book started out as something called "Going to extremes" about a woman finding herself (and a man) via extreme sports. Given that I get terrified even climbing children's adventure playgrounds, I realised that this was a terrible idea on roughly the first day of NaNo. It's now about a woman finding herself (and maybe, but not necessarily, a man) via saving the world from a secret spy ring.
How are you feeling about NaNo right now?
Very positive. Although I'm behind on my word count. I think it's a great motivator, and I certainly wouldn't have written this much without it. It's a lot of fun, and allows you license to be terrible, which definitely helps.
Where do you like to write?
I've done a bit on my phone on my commute into work, but I prefer to write on the sofa. More comfortable and less hard on the fingers!
Have you been inspired by any other writers?
I'm inspired by all the other nano-ers with amazing book ideas, writing styles and word counts. I see my own book as closest to those "Size 12 isn't fat" books, which I read a while ago but I remember as a lot of fun.
How are you hoping to manage your time during the month-long word-fest? Do you have any tips?
I think I'm really going to rely on big catch up sessions at the weekends, that's the only way. In terms of tips, little and often is the best, if you can manage it, at least for me. Write for 15 mins, break for 15, write, break, drink coffee, write.....
Do you think you will reach the finish line?
I hope so!
Thanks, Helen!
Find out more about NaNoWriMo at the official website.