Two authors were talking about NaNoWriMo.
(In a video, via StreamYard, months ago; I find it weird now to watch something filmed before even the start of the whole pandemic. You?)
The now famous National Novel Writing Month, first founded in 1999 in the United State, is a great source of motivation and stress, for writers world-wide.
One the authors was talking about how, when she taught she would « lose » NaNoWriMo, she pushed through and found out she had the words in her.
Last night, despite the tiredness, I went and watch a KaShay Live Write-In episode, and I, too, pushed through.
Should you write or should you sleep?
Sleep has been escaping me. For SURE, I’m one of the many, many, many in this anxiety-inducing pandemic half-insomnia situation.
Therefore, when evening comes, I have to fight the urge to do nothing but shop online for my kiddo and go to bed at 8pm.
But this first draft won’t write itself.
This week, I set myself up to write at least 500 words each day, weekends included. With a young kiddo at home, kiddo who’s missing the daycare friends, the grand-mother and the cousins, it’s hard to carve enough time to be productive during the week.
But that was yesterday’s motivation. Today… it’s another story.
Pushing it… but not to the limit
Waking up at 3 am is not something I’m used too.
It was bound to happen: now that the rush of adrenaline anxiety has settled down, I’m really – not tired. Extra emotional.
Being extra emotional is super bad, in my case anyway, because it’s harder for me to keep in mind the characters’ voices. Or even the mood of a scene or chapter.
All of a sudden, the teenage characters are super philosophical, or overly kind to each other, or so cynical… In other words, the novel takes many new, unrequired, unwanted directions.
That means loads of re-writing to do, plus so much ediiitiiing, bleuh.
Part of me is tempted to use this over emotional as an excuse to not write.
But here’s the thing: I need to finish this book. I need too. No matter what, by the end of March (or so, because I’m at 55 000 words and I have 25 000 words to add, and I’m now a stay-at-home-mom with a living full of diy cardboard projects), I need to be done with this book.
I want to take the time to plan my self-publishing journey.
I want to take the time to outline the shenanigans-out of the Rom-Com writing project.
I want to finish telling the funny paranormal story and start writing about the matters of the heart. So to speak.
Fellow writers, that’s it for me tonight. Stay home, stay safe, and may the words give you comfort.
Thanks so, so, so much for reading this. I appreciated it oh so very much.
Marie Alice Writes & Reads 