It's that time of year again...

It’s fast approaching that time of year again. The nights are closing in on us, there’s a sharp chill in the air and the leaves are starting to fall down from the trees. You know what that means don’t you? No, not Christmas. It’s time for NaNoWriMo. 

This is my third NaNoWriMo event that I will have taken part in. I first took part last year, and then a second time during the summer’s Camp NaNoWriMo. Somehow, I managed to get past the word count of 50,000 for both of them. That didn’t mean it was easy, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that I’ll be able to do it again this time around.

However, I have learnt a lot from my two previous attempts at novel writing in a month:

I need to watch my words: During the event in July, I had an awful case of word mix up disease. Every time I wanted to write THROUGH or THOUGHT, I would end up typing THOUGH. I’m talking every single time I made this same damn mistake. So needless to say, this time around, I’ll be taking extra care with my typing.

I shouldn't write romance: This is another thing I learnt in July, me and romance do not work. In fiction and in life for that matter. Last November, I wrote a fantasy story that had a romantic element within it. In July, however, the whole story was based on the romance and IT WAS AWFUL. I am not cut out for keeping a full 50,000 word romance story exciting. I’m really not.

Continuity is KEY: Last November, I was constantly forgetting small things that were in the earlier parts of my story. So if I had to come back to anything later on, I was forgetting what I’d written. Planning is crucial for stuff like this. You need to remember tiny little details for everything, just in case you need them later on in the story.

And finally…AVOID DISTRACTIONS: In July, I created a Polyvore account to create style sets for all of my characters, so I had something visual to refer to. This turned out to be a huge mistake because instead of ‘getting inspiration’, I was spending hours looking at pretty fashion designs. Not good.

So, if you’re attempting NaNoWriMo this year, whether it’s you first time on your tenth, then good luck to you. Remember to stay sane and don’t freak out if you don’t hit the word count, because YOU TRIED, and that’s more than many would do. 

All Good Things...

... Must Come to and End

 So, after three long years, I have completed my last day as a university student… And I’m not exactly screeching joyful cheers from the rooftops.

I always assumed I’d be happy to finally leave the chaos of education. I have never had a break from it. I went straight from school into college, then onto university. I was excited to finally have my freedom. But that’s not what I felt when I walked out of the doors after my final exam. Instead, what I felt was panic.

Tidal waves of panic.

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

My life has been a constant stream of education and I have never left the security of it. Now, all of a sudden, I’m out in that ‘big wide world’ everyone talks about and I have no clue what comes next.  

Three years ago, I stepped out onto the grounds of my new university campus without giving a single thought to the end of that degree. I knew that I wanted a media degree, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it at the end. I loved film, television production, journalism and photography. I just assumed that three years of doings bits of all of them would suddenly make everything fall into place. Like I would wake up one morning and it would suddenly click.

Except it didn’t. I didn’t just suddenly realise what I wanted to do with my life. And now, after three years of film making and stressful assignments, I’m back where I was at the start. 

Stuck.

I don’t know why I expected university to solve everything for me. I went into it expecting more than what I got. I mean, sure, I learnt a lot about the subjects I was studying, but somehow I just thought I’d learn more about life as well.

You hear all those stories about going to university will create all these opportunities and you’ll ‘find’ yourself. Truth is that it wasn’t as life changing for me as people say it should be. I suppose, in a way, it helped me feel more at peace with myself. Before university I didn't have a ‘place’. I didn't it it. I used to change myself to blend in more with the crowds. But at university, I found friends who I had so much in common with that I didn’t have to change the person I was. So, I guess that’s one positive I can take away.

But what else?

What happens now?

Just hang around until my graduation and hope that I have some big epiphany? Guess I’ll just have to wait and see what fist life throws at me next.