Every writer gets a rush when they type The End. Each of those journeys to those two words is unique, but what is a writer to do when those words arrive sooner than anticipated?
For example, what if you’re me?
On November 18, I finished the first draft of my NaNoWriMo WIP. If you are at all familiar with National Novel Writing Month—the challenge to write 50,000 words of a new novel in 30 days—then this might sound impressive until you hear the details. Not only did The End come twelve days early, but it also came 19,231 words early.
So, what’s a writer like me—or you—to do when your draft is short, and you’ve got the rest of November staring back at you on your calendar?
Option 1: Go back and flesh out your draft.
This was the first thing everyone suggested when I told my circle that I finished the story, and they’re not at all wrong to suggest that. I am famously an “underwriter,” which is to say that I write lean, sparse prose. I have no doubt that there are many, many places that I could go back and make more solid. In fact, I’m pretty sure there are still some dots that need connecting!
What led to me exploring other options in the form of this blog post—besides my combined personality quirks that drive me to make lists—was that this sounds suspiciously like revising to my ears. Don’t get me wrong—this experimental project of mine is going to need a lot of revisions, but in order to add more scenes, I’ll need to read through what I already have and identify what’s missing. In all likelihood, I’ll also need to revisit my outline and reshape it. I don’t think those aspects lend themselves to the 1,667-words-a-day output levels I need to be striving for.
On the other hand, this could be a great option if you are a pantser who knows there are scenes missing that you’d like to add. By all means, take them on!
Option 2: Start taking notes.
I am a big believer in taking notes on the manuscript itself, usually in the form of comments within the document or in a notes “chapter” at the end of the manuscript. That’s how you (read: I) wrap your (my) head around what’s missing in the plot, what you aspects of the original plan changed, and so on.
You probably cannot expect this to carry you for more than a few thousand words, but it might be a productive way to get you from 48k to 50k! Then, when it comes time to revise, you’ll already know what you need to work on.
Option 3: Start a new project.
This might be the most fun option! If the Muses have gifted you with another story idea that has taken hold of your heart, why wait until after November to jump on it?
Now, if you’re a plotter like me, you might be a little daunted by the idea of diving into a project without outlining, but remember—NaNoWriMo is about building the habit of writing every day, and it’s about having fun. And writing without an outline with no pressure except to hammer out the words—because, hey, your “real” project is done anyway!—can be truly fun. It takes me back to my elementary school days, when I would handwrite stories for hours without a care in the world.
Let out your inner child!
Option 4: Write the prequel or sequel.
Can you see your NaNoWriMo project being the start of a series? Or are you writing an installment in a current series? Then you can continue your series right now!
Even if you weren’t planning on turning your story into a series, you could write out all that juicy backstory that’s always cut from the first few chapters, or the extended happily ever after scene. Going deeper into your characters is not only a fun indulgence, but could again prove helpful if and when you circle back to this project. If nothing else, they might make for fun extras for your newsletter subscribers!
Option 5: Work on your blurb.
Short by a couple hundred words? With the story fresh in your mind, now is the perfect time to experiment with phrasing for a blurb, or other kinds of marketing copy. It almost always feels like a chore to come up with those kinds of words.
