Bob_The_Other_Zombie will now rub it in that he won. (We didn't.) :( —Sparkitors
So, it's a week after NaNoWriMo ended, but it's still all you can think about. After all, you won! The evil doctor supervillian has been defeated, your characters are all tucked away in their happily ever afters, and, better yet, you crossed the 50,000 mark. You turn around, expecting cheers, applause, and maybe even a knighting for all of your hard work... only to find your friends staring at you, wondering who this crazy person is and where their friend has been for the past four weeks.
No worries. You just need to bring the celebration to them, with these quick tips.
1. Bring it up constantly.
Your friends will love this. Relate everything to your NaNoWriMo. Make every conversation about your novel.
Normal Person: So, uh, the weather's pretty nice.
Badass Novelist (you): Yeah. There's weather in my novel, too. You know, the 50,000-word novel that I just wrote in one month. (perfect place to tell your whole plot synopsis)
Normal Person: That's very interesting. You must be an amazing person to write that novel. I will now shower you with gifts and affection.
2. Dress the part.
Image is a big part of being a novelist. On the day you pass 50,000, wear your NaNoWriMo T-shirt. Make a button that sames "Awesome Badass Novelist" and pin it to your shirt. Change all of your business cards to show your career as "Novelist." Or, go for the more classic look, and dress in a black turtleneck and carry a big cigar everywhere you go. If someone asks, this is the perfect opportunity to employ tip #1.
3. Facebook is your friend.
Start out by posting all-caps statuses saying things like "I AM A NOVELIST. HERE ME ROAAAAR!" and "GUESS WHO JUST WROTE A NOVEL? THIS GIRL!" Keep posting variations of it until someone likes or comments on it. If you have to, post a screenshot of your novel with the word count included. Then, to settle into your new novelist identity, begin posting wordy, pretentious statuses about everything that goes on in your life. Example: "A pigeon just flew by my window. O, Nature's Grey Beauty, a fluttering of wings in the night!"
4. Refer to it as your "most recent novel."
Not as your first novel. This is important.
5. Or, just have an awesome party with your other novelist friends who will be celebrating just as much as you.
Remember them? The ones who motivated you by finishing their novel halfway through the month? The ones who you motivated with your ridiculous five-hour sessions when you were trying to keep up with the fast ones? The ones who you've been having unofficial races with throughout the whole month? Even the one who only wrote a thousand words before giving up, although, if you invite her, you might want to make sure she's not the only person there who didn't make 50,000.
Go, have fun. Host a party. Eat pizza. Read each other's novels and critique, if you like. Talk about your novels and the experiences. Or just hang out and don't mention the novel at all. No matter what you do, they'll all understand the happiness of your first novel, and what it took to get you there.
How would you celebrate writing a book?
Related post: Tips for Next Year's NaNoWriMo, From a Winner!
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