It’s the last weekend in October, Halloween is just around the corner and then November One. I’m not much of a Halloween person. November One is what I’m really gearing up for. It’s the start of National Novel Writing Month, affectionally nicknamed, NaNoWriMo. I’m a WriMo.
I entered the challenge last year and won, meaning I wrote fifty thousand words in thirty days. Actually less then thirty because cutting a deadline too close, makes me queasy. So I wrote more than the allotted sixteen hundred words a day.
Also, I had no excuse. I didn’t work outside the home so a two thousand word count was doable.
2018 is a completely different story and my courage is faltering as the start of NaNoWriMo looms. This year I’m employed outside the home part-time and I’m working with an editor on last year’s book. This may not seem like much to those of you who work full-time and still manage to eek out the fifty-thousand word count. Kudos to you! For this writer, it’s going to take all my energy not to have a melt-down. I know this about myself.
One big concern is creating a new story and editing and rewriting a different one. It’s like jumping in and out of different realities. This may cause some neurosis on my part. Consider yourself warned.
The other challenge is the genre I chose to write. A fractured fairy tale. I’ve read many but haven’t written anything like it. As I started to contemplate ideas I decided, why not? Not because it’s going to be easy but precisely because it’s going to be the exact opposite. I’m a masochist so by all means, why don’t I just jump right in?
Why do we take on these ludicrous feats? Why bother with a self-imposed torturous contest? I’m asking myself that as I take my sanity temperature and run through all my doubts.
Along with the impending deadline of November One, that bully, fear, is stalking me. His hot breath searing my neck. But the hideous creep has underestimated me.
This year, I’m so done with being beaten up by thugs. So I’m digging in my heels and thrusting out my chin. You think you’re going to make me cower in a corner?
I refuse. Not only am I going to write about a protagonist who overcomes, I’m going to be one in my own real life story. Doubt and fear will not dictate what I do or don’t do.
Like any heroine worth her salt, I have a plan. Organization is key. Pre-planning and prep is my weapon of choice. Telling people you are setting off on this adventure or some other scheme is a good motivator to achieving that daily word count. Or end up looking like a fool. I don’t want that.
Like any authentic heroine, I will have to battle my demons. Nothing of value is learned if it’s handed to you on a silver platter. There will be distress, crisis and chaos. My brain knows this but the rest of me is blissfully ignorant of the upcoming battle. The brutes of this particular tale are fatigue, fear and time.
Who are yours?
How do we overcome these sneaky, manipulative cads? Stick to the plan. Oh, and bring along some cheerleaders who will help you grind through to victory.
I may be the one writing, but behind every writer, every hero of any story, is a group of people who help us reach our destination. We might think we are alone or we might pride ourselves on being self-reliant but these are lies. Remembering this is key to success.
It is naive to expect all wins and no losses. There are going to be off days when my characters go on hiatus or the roof leaks at home. Paralysis caused by fear is going to threaten to still my fingers on the keyboard. Meals still need to be made even if it’s cereal and life goes on. The only thing that counts on these days when the pressure of my enemy’s knee against my should blades feels like an anvil on my chest, is to shove the perp off and get back up. It’s in the rising up and pressing on that we are victors.
These are the things I’m going to try and remember in the upcoming month. What about you? What challenge are you facing in the upcoming days, weeks or months? What do you need to remember to help you win? If nothing else, I hope you remember you aren’t alone, and get back up when you get knocked down.