Writing
Keep Moving Forward
I should have titled this blog post: How Not to Start NaNoWriMo. But instead I went with something a little more motivational.
Sigh. My NaNo month is getting off to a slow start. Why?
I looked back.
I didn’t really have a choice. See, I was writing my second book when the copyedits came through for my first book. So I had to put book two down in order to finish book one (which was an exciting adventure of its own!). Now I’m writing book two again (and using NaNoWriMo as my motivator/deadline/piano hanging over my head). But in order to get my head back into book two, I had to read what I’d already written. And then it was really easy to start fixing what I’d already written. Which means I’ve been doing more editing than creating.
Sigh.
Looking back over what you’re writing, while you’re writing it, presents two potential pitfalls:
1. You realize what you’ve written sucks and you lose motivation.
2. You try to fix what you’ve written and you lose momentum (and time).
Unfortunately, I’m guilty of both.
Last night I groaned to my husband about my first draft. “Ugh!” I said. “This is the such a shitty first draft!” (See how I borrowed Anne Lamott’s phrase there?)
He asked, “Well, is it better than your last first draft?” And then he asked, “Is it better than your first first draft?”
Grudgingly, I said yes.
“Then you’re making progress. Keep going.”
(Let me pause here a moment to say: my husband rocks.)
Jumping from copyedits of the first book — which had already been through a few revisions and was pretty darned polished! — to re-reading a partial first draft set me up for failure and frustration. What was I doing, comparing a polished manuscript to a rough-hewn first draft?! Oh silly, silly me. Even though I had to go back and read what I’d written so I knew where and how to pick up the story again, getting back into the game has been like trying to ride a bicycle uphill. Ugh. Thankfully, I feel like I have a handle on the story again and can start picking up speed. I’m eager to see those NaNo numbers rise.
When it comes to creative work, momentum is a kind of tenuous thing. Once you have it, try not to lose it, especially by going back and rereading what you’ve already wrote.
Whatever you do, keep moving forward!
I’m doing NaNoWriMo…kind of…
So, at the last minute last week, I jumped on the NaNoWriMo wagon…kind of. The manuscript for my second book, While You Were Gone, is due to my editor soon. I’ve already written a huge chunk of it, but still have a long way to go before I can call it done.
So I’m going to use the challenge, camaraderie and accountability of NaNoWriMo to kick the project into high gear. Don’t worry: I’m not counting what I’ve already written in my word count, because that would be uncool.
My goal is to finish before the end of November. Here’s hoping.
I haven’t added any writing buddies to my profile, though I know a bunch of authors participating this year. If you want to add me as a writing buddy, my NaNo name is RedPenOnFire. (Goofy, I know. Don’t judge me. I created the account during a moment of weakness, when anonymity felt less threatening.)
I’m going to blog about the issues I run into as I go, so if you’re doing NaNoWriMo, too, you might find some advice or commiserating in this month’s posts.
To all those doing NaNo, I commend you and I am cheering you on! Now go write!