#50kin30days

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My 50k Novel in 30 Days: Day 30

Did I Win?

Photo by RUN 4 FFWPU

This is an entry from my May 2025 writing journal in which I tried to write a 50-thousand-word rough draft in 30 days.

Just for funzies, I looked at the very first NaNoWriMo I did in 2008. 17 years ago. I wanted to see how much I had “grown” as a writer. Instead, I groaned as a writer. Which I knew I would. But that’s a good thing, right?

How does it compare to the unofficial NaNoWriMo I just did this month?

One thing I remember from all those years ago is how I just wrote with abandon. I found out about NaNoWriMo the day before it started so I only had less than 24 hours to come up with characters. And, really, all I did for characters was create a list of names with a one sentence description. And this description was very surfacey. No inner characteristics, no goals, no wound.

I also made a scene list. But the scenes had no goals. Just this happens. And that happens. What I ended up with was a novel in which the antagonist didn’t even show up or was mentioned until the last 10% of the story.

When I look at my first 50k words in 30 days, I can tell I’ve definitely grown as a writer. I still have much to learn. The writing craft is like a piece of complex software: it can never really be mastered.

And I’ve learned a lot in the past 30 days. I’ve learned I put my life on hold in some areas, which is not acceptable. I need to do some laundry. I need to start reading again. I have some errands that I’ve put off all month. That’s why I plan to write an average of 555 words a day from now on. That is more sustainable. Why 555? That works out to be 50 thousand words in 3 months which is more realistic. Some days I’ll write more, of course. Some days less, but it’s a standard to go by.

Something else I’ve learned: in an ironic twist of fate, the NaNoWriMo website shut down while I did this project. I feel this would have been the smoothest NaNoWriMo I’ve ever done if it had been an official November deed. But the good news is that I learned I do not need the website or the non-profit organization to write 50k in 30 days. 

I’ve learned more in this past month, and I’ll share one more thing. I am eager to take this energy I’ve gained to my regular writing WIPs (works in progress). I needed a break to do something original and different. It worked. I was afraid I would not go back, but I now can’t wait to start working on them again. 

What about this project? I will let it rest for now. Once I finish one or two of my other WIPs, I’ll come back and see if it is worthy of fixing up. 

So, I can say this 50k words in 30 days is a success. I hope the spirit of NaNoWriMo lives on. I believe the spirit has been freed and now people can write fifty thousand words any time they want.

Final word count: 50007

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My 50k Novel in 30 Days: Day 29

I Want to Maintain This Energy

Photo by Miriam Espacio

This is an entry from my May 2025 writing journal in which I tried to write a 50-thousand-word rough draft in 30 days.

One thing I always told myself during NaNoWriMo: I want to maintain this energy. I want to be motivated this much every day. But the feeling would not last. That motivation, that deadline, brought forth my best efforts as far as disciplining myself to write. That’s the real tragedy with the loss of NaNoWriMo: people relied upon the deadline at midnight on day thirty. I am afraid many people think they need that deadline. 

But that’s why I wanted to prove to myself I could do this. I made a self-imposed deadline and I intend to keep it. As corny as it sounds, it would be tragic for me to think I can’t do this on my own. With just one more day and a few thousand words left, I have made it a priority to wrap up this experiment in self-discipline up. 

I also want to show anyone else who thinks they need the NaNoWriMo website to write fifty thousand words in one month: you can do this on your own. Or with two or three writing buddies. Or more, of course. There are Discord groups. Facebook groups. Or friends to meet at coffee shops and do this. 

And who said you had to start on the first day of the month? Start on August 13th. Or March 4th. Or December 26th. The spirit of NaNoWriMo lives on, but most people do not know it. I am sure there are others who are doing their own 50k in 30 days. I know I am not being original. But I do hope if anyone sees this, they will be inspired to do the crazy thing and write.

Word count for the day: 48041

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My 50k Novel in 30 Days: Day 28

The NaNoWriMo website is gone

Photo by Anna Shvets

This is an entry from my May 2025 writing journal in which I tried to write a 50-thousand-word rough draft in 30 days.

It is a sad day for me. The website for NaNoWriMo has vanished. Ironic it happened while I’m in the last week of one of the best 50k words in 30 days I’ve ever done. Also ironic is that I’m doing this to prove to myself I did not need the NaNoWriMo organization to write a rough draft in one month.

I’ve said it before. The organization and the website were just supplemental items. The idea, the concept, the fun of writing fifty thousand words in thirty days can still be done. I was hoping the website would remain up on the internet, dormant, but still an archive of resources for download. I’m so glad I downloaded those resources weeks and months ago. 

Something else I’ve said before: Read Chris Baty’s No Plot? No Problem. It will help put writing a rough draft of a novel in thirty days in perspective. 

And remember, NaNoWriMo existed before the website. It still exists without it.

Word count for day 28: 45921

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My 50k Novel in 30 Days: Day 27

What is so special about 555?

Photo by Sergio Fdez

This is an entry from my May 2025 writing journal in which I tried to write a 50-thousand-word rough draft in 30 days.

I’m getting closer to reaching 50,000, and I’m wondering what my next steps should be. My first goal is to get to fifty thousand words by midnight on Friday. I’m not worried about failing that goal — unless something happens in my life, like a death or significant life change. But let’s not talk about that.

My second goal is to return to my previous projects. I have a space opera I’m trying to finish. I also have a non-fiction book that is finished, but I need to incorporate the editor’s markup. It’s a simple book, so that won’t take long.

When I started doing this 50k words in 30 days, I needed to step back from my space opera to get some perspective, which I have. The fear would be that I won’t go back to it. I’m more excited than ever to return to it. The excitement I’ve gained from writing this story this past month will translate to when I get back to everyday life. The planning of the scenes. The non-stop writing. The habit of writing every day. This is fuel for the writer. I want to recreate that feeling whenever possible when I return.

One other thing I’ve also realized: I am probably not going to do this again. At least not when I’ve other projects, like the ones I’ve mentioned. Writing 1,667 words minimum a day works if I don’t work, that is, if I don’t have a job. But I have a job. If I didn’t have that job, I would not be able to do this now. But writing this much each day is not sustainable. One day, when I have a new idea and need a break, I’ll do this again. But probably not for a long time.

So, what will I do instead?

I’ve decided what works best for me is this: write 555 words a day. It’s a nice, memorable number. And that is 50 thousand words in 3 months. So, starting in June, I will be writing 50 thousand words through the summer. From June 1 — August 31, I will make it my goal to write an average of 555 words a day.

This will manifest itself in the completion of my space opera, or at least the current draft. Also, 555 words a day is sustainable. I can live my regular life. For me, 555 takes roughly a half an hour. Or less than 45 minutes. That’s habit forming. It also adds up. It’s not crazy. And, like I said, I can live my regular life.

Of course, there will be days when I write more than the magical 555. There will be days when I write less. But that is my new goal. And doing this 50k a day helped me realize that.

Word count for day 27: 45012

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My 50k Novel in 30 Days: Day 26

I Read a Book in the Middle of Writing My Rough Draft

From the cover of Naomi Wood's novel The Hiding Game

This is an entry from my May 2025 writing journal in which I tried to write a 50-thousand-word rough draft in 30 days.

Today is Memorial Day and I decided to spend most of the day reading a novel called The Hiding Game by Naomi Wood. I loved it.

It is based in Germany in the decade leading up to WWII. An art movement called Bauhaus was founded at a school called The Bauhaus House (this is a real institution, by the way). Wood drew on historical events of that time and place to create a story about a group of fictional students who attended The Bauhaus House. Even though Wood is an internationally acclaimed author, this particular novel of hers is not well known. It doesn’t even have an audio version. I’m not sure why. Her other works, particularly a book called Mrs. Hemingway, are well known.

I took a break from writing all day until now. I’ve been writing all week. I wrote all last week and this past weekend, and this is the last day of my vacation. I wanted to read. So, I finished the novel a couple of hours ago. And I’m going to write a couple hundred words, but not worry about my word count. I have until midnight on Friday to reach 50,000 words, and I’m currently at almost 44,000.

I did reach a milestone yesterday. I completed the entire story in rough draft form. It’s a summary of scenes, complete with dialogue, description, and extensive exposition. But I’m so proud of myself. I’m going to finish this fourth week of writing my 50k novel by expanding the summaries of several scenes.

Jessica Brody says the foundation scenes of Save the Cat Writes a Novel are (I know I mentioned this in a previous entry for this project, but it bears repeating):

The Catalyst

The Break into Two

The Midpoint

The All Is Lost

The Break into Three

For definitions of these, go here. These are all single-scene beats. Not all of the beats are single scenes, so that makes this a perfect way to finish this project. I’ve already started filling out the Midpoint scene first. I’m taking my summary and writing it out as an actual narrative draft. This is the approach most people take with NaNoWriMo, which is fine, but it’s more enjoyable to plan out the full story first and then start writing the actual text. That’s just me.

Word count for day 26: 44012

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My 50k Novel in 30 Days: Day 25

Make a Name Bank as You Write Your Rough Draft

Photo by may day.ua

This is an entry from my May 2025 writing journal in which I tried to write a 50-thousand-word rough draft in 30 days.

Because I’m writing a fantasy novel, I am using unusual names for my characters. You know, fantasy names. But where do I get these names? Well, some of them I make up, but others I use fantasy name generators. There are two I use the most.

The first one is called Seventh Sanctum. This website offers a vast array of naming options for fantasy and science fiction characters, ships, starships, equipment, and more. The other is Fantasy Name Generators. This latter name generator is so massive the best way to use it is to Google the specific item you need. For example, I will search for Fantasy Name Generators plant names. Or Fantasy Name Generators inn names. Using both of these will supply you with endless weird names for your speculative fiction stories and novels.

Taking it a step further, here is a hack to use when writing a fast rough draft. To save time, I will copy the list of names these websites provide and paste it into a text document. I call it my Name Bank. It is a list of unusual names I can use for various purposes, such as characters, towns, species, and more. It’s quick and easy.

It is also random. I ensure that the names in my rough draft are all distinct from one another so I can keep track of who is who. Here’s the thing. Even if you don’t like the name, you can change it in later drafts. For now, you are giving a character or whatever a quick name for your rough draft. You don’t have to waste time thinking of the perfect fantasy name — or science fiction planet. So, the next time you are writing a quick rough draft, set up a Name Bank for quick naming that you can use now and change later if you want.

Word count for Day 25: 43282

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My 50k Novel in 30 Days: Day 24

Make a Foreshadowing List as You Write

Photo by Tato Villanova

This is an entry from my May 2025 writing journal in which I tried to write a 50-thousand-word rough draft in 30 days.

Now that I’ve reached 40K, I don’t feel so rushed to get this done. Saying that I’m going to try to do at least 2K today or maybe 3K. But I got a late start. I stayed up late last night at the movies with my friends. They wanted to see the Mission Impossible Final Reckoning movie, and I didn’t get home until 11:00 pm. Which means I slept in later than usual. Which means I am just now getting started, and it is one in the afternoon.

One thing that has become clear to me as I write this rough draft is that I will need to make a foreshadowing list. This is a list of items — people, places, events, and so on — that I make up on the spot. Nothing wrong with that. For example, I have a student character report to a teacher his observations as he spies on another student. This student pops up out of nowhere in the last quarter of the book. I will need to casually mention him once or twice in earlier parts of the story. This will happen when I revise.

Another foreshadowing I would like to create is a magazine publication mentioned in an early scene. However, this magazine is set in a future time. The main story happens decades earlier. It would be beneficial to note the publication in both timelines to help tie them together.

One thing on my to-do list is to review the draft after I finish it and start a Foreshadowing List. I will add any person, place, or thing that pops up out of nowhere to this list, and I will make notes of possible scenes where to add these items.

Word count for day 24: 42054

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My 50k Novel in 30 Days: Day 23

I Just Passed Forty-Thousand Words

Photo by Jacob Zyc

This is an entry from my May 2025 writing journal in which I tried to write a 50-thousand-word rough draft in 30 days.

I reached 40,000 words today. I still have four days of vacation left, so I plan to get as close to 50K as possible. By the end of Monday, Memorial Day, I expect to have surpassed 43,342 words. I still have eight days to reach 50,000 words. I don’t think that will be a problem.

Word count for day 23: 40116