NaNotes #5 - The Short Goodbye
Whew! And... We're... Done!
Need more proof?
Ba-bam!! Isn't that beautiful?
I know I've said it before sarcastically, but I'm really going to keep this short. Cross my heart and I hope you die. Oh you know I don't want you to die. I appreciate you always taking the time to read and comment on my posts, so I would never want you to leave this Earth. Look at me, look into my eyes. No. You got that? Good.
What a tiring month! For some reason, November always drains me. It doesn't show because I use lotion before I go to bed, but I am literally out of words right after this month. I know it doesn't show it because I've used multiple NaNoWriMo accounts in the past, but I've been at this since 2010. I've been writing 50,000 plus words for far longer than most kids have lived. I feel like I'm a grizzled veteran even though I've been professionally published 0 times. Quite too often, in the middle of the month, I just mutter to myself, "I'm too old for this shit."
This was one of those classic nailbiters. Unlike last year when I blitzed during the midpoint and then coasted near the end, four days ago, I wasn't even sure I was going to finish. When I started, I set a lofty goal of finishing 1.5 stories. People told me that I was crazy, that it's a suicide mission. There were prayer rallies and petitions asking for me to take it easy. But, I shrug them off thinking that after seven years of doing this, I was finally ready to ascend to heights that most people only dream about.
Turns out they were right.
Let it be known that while I succeeded in my NaNo mission, I failed in my own side mission. For that, I am sorry. I know babies are weeping right now, and to them I'll say, "Get over it... you babies." It was too much for me to carry, what with everything going on. Add to that, I even wrote this NaNotes series because I had a deathwish. I hope people got something from them.
As much as I want this to be, this is just a short culmination for my experiences last month. It was a rollercoaster ride, and like every other ride, they all have their end. No notes here, just a recap. I just wanted to etch my mixed results to the STEEM blockchain, and to put a table of contents here for my NaNotes. I initially planned it to be eight in total, but I ended up with four. So, here they are:
THE FIRST ONE
THE SEQUEL
THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM
THE FINALE
If you liked them or you thought they were da bomb, feel free to comment here or any of them. Also, I won't complain if you gave this post an upvote. In fact, I would be grateful. Like, so grateful.
Now, wasn't that short? (Na)No? Hit that ^ button below to tell me "up yours" and protest. Go on! I dare you!
STEEM slumping? Vote @lukestokes.mhth as a Top 20 witness to help it grow! :D
Side goals be damned, this is awesome! No wonder you're so boss at writing, you are a Nanowrimo expert. My hat off to you (I seriously did take my ushanka off and put it back on.)
It's way easier and harder than it seems. It doesn't mean that if I finished NaNo that I have an output that could be published for reals haha! I guess I just have 50,000+ words under my belt, and maybe that's enough. Writing is weird, huh? We just have to get our reps in and we automatically level up, like a character in a game. I accept the hat tip, and raise you an appreciation for taking the time to read the post!
The editing process is a whole other beast but that first draft is probably the step that most people never overcome. The importance of practice is something I keep trying to remember - that you don't have to make things perfect to get better, you just have to sit down and do.
Even after years of doing this, that thought still creeps up every time. It's tough to get a handle on, but I feel like once we get over the hump, we're all the better for it. You're right though, editing is a different beast. If we want to make it out of the dungeon alive, multi-tasking beasts isn't the way to go.
Having completed the task last year, I can understand how you are feeling now. Tired, for sure, but what an accomplishment. Congrats. And to have fulfilled the task many times too.
Thanks, mate! I just wish that I was able to post more NaNotes. I would've been way more satisfied had I posted half of the amount of the Notes you posted. Still, I feel like it's an achievement that I got to post more than one. What with all of the words I'm already writing elsewhere.
So now you rest and bask in the warming light of acompishement. Congrats! The word bubble encompassing your head has subsided and rests stuck in the internet waiting for some eyes to catch it.
I hope that those eyes catch it before payout haha! Kidding aside, thank you for your support as always. It was really a tough challenge, and it becomes tougher with every passing year.
Wow you sounded like very very excited in the beginning haha. 😂
It's true you should always challenge yourself for the highest goals and go crazy on it when you are this excited. 😂
It was a very interesting and hilariously funny read like always @jedau
Here showering some more funny 😂
Take a look at my recent funny posts
https://steemit.com/funny/@asteemian/safety-trolls
https://steemit.com/funny/@asteemian/perfect-photo
You've read my work before? Haha! Yeah, I think this was mostly caused by exhaustion. I really appreciate the compliment and for the addendum comic relief. Nice posts!
Hehe yeah you have a unique touch to your humor, I stumbled on you again and now I've bookmarked you :-P thanks for your reply dude and thanks for appreciating my posts.
I would be glad if you really like them hehe if you don't I won't post them here again.
And thanks for your amazing humor keep them coming :-D
Woohoo!! Thanks for the bookmark! I think it would be easier if you followed instead :D I always reply to any comment on my post. Man, just keep up your thoughtful comments and you won't even need to link to your posts because I will automatically vote and comment on them without you notifying me :D
Hehe well I'm already following you but I don't think my feeds will show you any good near! Bookmark of my favorite authors. 😁
Yes a reply is always appreciated what can be more better to be able to interact with your favorite authors. 😁
That's great to hear from you bro, you know I really found this to be a great way to get some small exposure while starting out with small content posts, but I don't spam I just leave an overview to my post and it's upto them if they upvote or comment if they enjoy.
But you really gave your word thanks. So far I've made 3 consistent fans including you. 😀
I don't think I'm the best and I'm waiting for criticism so I can improve the way I present my post and who could be more better than you with such an energetic vive humor haha, your small section of the post shows it all well how funny and excited you were while writing it, and it's the same with me it's just a short visual post which has to grab the attention of the scrollers with something which packs lots of humor haha :-D
And I, you, as well. Great to have stumbled upon a prolific commenter like myself. Back then I only ever see comments like these from me and a few friends who I've become close to here. Nice to see another one lurking about!
Awww shucks! I appreciate the compliments, but I'll forever say that it's completely undeserved :D My word is my bond, so you can always hold me to it!
If you want detailed criticism, then I'll be happy to provide you with it. Just post your work, and I'm sure that we can improve together. Right now, I think the types of posts that you've been putting up is fine. But, I do hope to see you diversify in the coming weeks. We always have to try to outdo our previous posts if we hope to improve after all, right? :D I have no doubt that great things await you, buddy!
Aha thanks, I really think that open interaction is the key to build a long lasting relationship with people in real life also on steemit. And it also depends on the person if they like open interaction about anything that interests them.
I always got turned off by a lot of people who are just too boring and doesn't wanna say anything but just "thanks" "bye"!
Glad to see someone who's like me too.
On this platform I'm really looking forward to make long lasting relationship with people who care. 😊
Yeah as an interactive community we can improve together if we listen carefully to the true words that people put in, that's the most effective way to improve the way consumers want.
And yeah there also the time comes where we should keep testing out with different things to see what works better.
As you said diversify yeah I want to do that making the posts compact but with a lot more follow up funny comments but it's very hard to find and pick the best funny ones after curating all over the internet haha, but I will try putting in more work to it and with experience it will be more efficient. Thanks for your compliments and tips brother. 💖
I agree with you wholeheartedly, man. Most of the people here don't even reply haha! I can't generalize everyone though, as there are a few people who are just like us. It's fortunate that you stumbled upon my post when you did. I'm glad to add you to the roster of avid commenters. You seem like a really genuine fellow.
It's hard to find your footing at the beginning, but when you get your groove, I have no doubt that you'll make it flow :)
So I'm up a bit late (because oldest finally posted his intro and there was a lot of technical difficulties in the leadup to that, so many technical difficulties with each one! But they're all set now XD) and you show up in my feed.
The smart bit of me says go to bed, it's late and you're tired, and he's going to make you laugh at some point.
But it's Jed, I say, and I'm here now so I want to see what he wrote.
Turns out the smart bit of me was right and I ended up choking on laughter (remember the bit about it's late? Everyone else is in bed and it's so quiet that even though I already barely press the keys on the keyboard which often results in odd missed letter or occasionally missed word typos I make an extra effort to type quieter).
But it was worth it XP
Well done on finishing! :D Looks like you really fired up in the home stretch, last four above the curve! Inspiration smack you upside the head or burning the entire midnight candle?
Seven years? Did you mention it before and I just missed it? Damn you really are a NaNoVet XD
Aww man, I didn't catch this last night! I promise, I really tried to keep this one brief. There were a lot of moments when I had to keep things at bay and not go 2,000-word post and all. I'm glad I kept you up with laughter though haha!
There will always be technical difficulties here, I think. But, I guess it's a great learning experience. Teaches the kids patience, so that's always great. I'm glad everyone finally introduced themselves. Nice to put names to the ages haha!
Day 25 made the difference, I think. It's more of a "write anything you bum or else we're gonna fail" sort of mentality at that point, I think. I haven't really reviewed it since then, so I don't know how much sense I made during that stretch. Inspiration never came, I think I had too much fun with the B&W photos and other stuff haha! I'm glad my desperate heave was enough to push it over the top. This one's a real nailbiter though, even if the graph doesn't quite show it.
I think I mentioned it in passing before and didn't highlight it very much. Eight years now, I just hope it shows on my profile haha! Thanks for the invaluable support, mate!
I really, really can't wait to read your story! Woo hoo, you did it, and that's awesome! By the way...if you've been doing this for seven years, by my calculations that means you are keeping five of them from us excluding this newest one. And with that statement I am obviously saying WHERE ARE THEY, ME WANT TO READ!
I'm not sure if my math is wrong, but I think this was my eighth one haha I've done it seven times before is what I meant haha! One is being run through the meat grinder as we speak, which is the same one that became my first self-published novel. Once I republish it, expect that you would be the one of the first people to gaze upon it haha! Different writing style though, so just setting expectations. Wrote that one more than 3 years ago. As for the others, once I feel like my work would be seen by many, I shall post it here. But, they just need some cleaning up and they would be ready for private viewing haha! I've set up a whole universe of disconnected stories, I think I've told you that before.
I appreciate the enthusiasm and the undying support, sis! That B&W challenge was posed at such a great time! It really helped avoid burnout, so thanks for that :D
Oh yeah, eight! Tons of Jed stories to look forward to then!
I know all about setting expectations for something really different, since that's what you're going to be getting with Unproven, which I will say more about soon :)
Unproven is already ready for consumption!? Woohoo! Definitely looking forward to it!
welp, looks like I've got some reading to catch up on!
50k words....that's insane! I can only imagine how much sleep you lost over this :) Congrats though, hopefully the win makes all the sleepless nights feel worth it ;)
Well, I didn't post all of the 50k words here. Yet. Haha! It is insane. What's more insane is that it has become a yearly tradition. It remains to be seen if was worth it, but the accomplishment is always welcome. I sacrificed a lot to reach the goal, and I don't want to underplay that. It was a lot of hard work indeed! Catch up on your leisure, buddy :D
I'm currently finishing up War and Peace, but it looks like I have next great novel already lined up....
War and Peace!? Man, that's such a tough one to follow! That is, in terms of the length and the quality. If I was a novel, I don't ever want to be in that unlucky follow's shoes... oy vey...
It is such a good book, I almost hesitate to call it a novel - even Tolstoy said he doesn't consider it a novel but more of a philosophical work, which makes sense after reading most of it. The book really makes you think and it seems he really tries to drive home the point of "what it means to be human."
A novel it is not. More like a sprawling epic! I do get how it could be viewed as a philosophical work though. The great ones are always thought provoking after all. That point is something I often try to tackle with my own stories. I often write character that live perpetually in the gray area, that's why I have fun exploring the humanity question.
yeah that is a great place to go (the grey area); it makes sure the work isn't "cookie cutter" and the same old same old.
Oh you can trust that I won't ever make something that looks like it was manufactured from a factory line. If I would, you would definitely read it as an ironic parody haha!
is this NaNotes a steemit thing? Now I'm kind of interested in it myself, but I might set like a 5k word limit lol
Ohh it's just a @jedau thing. Just a couple of Notes I wrote while doing NaNoWriMo. It's a yearly thing, so that's okay, you can join it next year. It's great to get started with a lower limit to ease into it. Think of it as your warm up before a long marathon! Ha! Sprints, if you will haha! Man, you're making it easy.
Trust me, I would definitely start on the lowest level, ha. We'll just consider it "stretching".
Our collab will be all the better for it. While you're sharpening your wordsmithing skills, I'll be following along your Learn Art series so that I could hone my drawing ability. Who knows, after a couple of collabs in, we could switch roles then haha!
haha, that would be hilarious. It could also be kind of cool seeing different art styles from page to page.
Haha! I bet it would! Coupled with the different writing styles haha If anything, at least it would demonstrate that we're willing to take risks to make our work stand out haha!
very true!
Excited for it and I'm most definitely willing to wait! :D
Mistaken will not be repeated
Oh man, I feel so special! Thank you for that!
Thank you very much for me
Welcome very much because of you