Nanowrimo block -- is quitting winning?

So I have an odd situation and I hoped maybe I could get some perspective or advice. For National Novel Writing Month this year, I blocked out an outline for a ~100,000 word science fiction novel that I planned to do the first half of this month and the second half of during Camp Nanowrimo early next year. However, as I approach the 20,000 word mark, I'm struggling to meet my writing goals. It's a combination of traditional writer's block and heavy dose of second thoughts about the direction of the project.

This story started as a prequel to an unpublished manuscript I wrote back in 2013, designed to introduce and flesh out one of the secondary characters for that story. As I get close to 20k (which also roughly lines up with the end of the first act), I feel like I've accomplished my immediate narrative objectives, and increasingly I'm worrying that continuing with the story is going to break continuity with the original work. That's not a deal-breaker; I could always revise the original manuscript. But I'm just not feeling it. I certainly won't 'win' nanowrimo at this pace. I can write fast, but not 30,000/week fast.

So I'm thinking of taking what I have now, and tying up the loose ends at the completion of act 2. Keep the rest of the outline a food for a future standalone, but do the prequel as a 20-25,000 word short story. I kind of feel like I'm giving up on the project, but at the same time I can see a lot of ways where the story just plays out better and fits in more smoothly with the original work as a short story.

Has anyone had a similar situation? I'm curious to hear your insight into what you decided and how you came to your decision. If it's relevant, salability isn't necessarily my first concern, but I'd like to have something that I can monetize in the future if the 2013 manuscript sells.

MaeZe said:

I got to 45K a few years back for NaNo and just kept going. Now the book is close to being finished. Are you trying to write a novel or to meet the NaNo goal? That makes a difference.

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At the start of the project, the try was for both. I've got a few manuscripts on the shelf already in various stages of editing, but I had a new idea in my head that I wanted to get onto paper, and at the same time I enjoy the challenge of the wrimo. Now, however, I'm not feeling the drive to turn this into a 100k project. That leaves the nano motivation, which in this case would basically a private nano running into December, and I feel the draw to seeing it through and completing it.

But on the other hand, I see a path to a viable end product in converting this project to a 25k-ish short story, and I remember enough from my business school days to see what might be a sunk cost fallacy. If I write half a novel, and the second half is weak, then I'm back to where I was before: edit back to make act 1 stand alone, or shelve the manuscript and go back to editing (not necessarily a bad thing - I've got a 115k that's probably one pass away from starting queries on).

As I talk this through, I can feel myself sliding more towards favoring a satisfying and integral work over another 'winner' badge for my nanowrimo profile. Will have to chew on this over the holiday, but you're right about goals, and my knee jerk reaction is that while writing a novel might not be my try, writing a quality piece of fiction definitely is.

Sage said:

50K in the 30 days of November is a completely arbitrary goal created by one guy and embraced by many as something cool to do. If you feel satisfied by what you get out of November, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about what you should do in November. If you don't feel satisfied by what you get out of November, then it still doesn't matter what anybody else thinks about what you should do in November.

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Good advice, and proof that your handle is accurate, Sage. I think on some level I already knew this was true, but it's good to get some validation on the right course to follow.