NaNoWriMo has not been going well. I’ve been trying to write in the mornings and save cover work for afternoons/evenings, but I’m so tired and stressed. I’m so behind. It’s not at the point where I have no hope of making it, but I’m beginning to wonder if I want to salvage it. Not that I would stop working on this project, of course. It’s consuming me. But trying to fit that 2k per day into my schedule has been really, really tough. It would be nice to fall back to a nice, relaxed “minimum 500 words a day no matter what” schedule and not stress over it. I’ll see how it goes…giving up on a challenge is something that really bothers me. But lordy am I tired.
I’m doing Nano also, and when I’m too tired to write, I use the sound recorder in Windows – not the best tool, but it beats not getting any words down.
By the way, I love your art and book covers!
Thank you very much – that’s kind of you to say! I hadn’t thought about recording – but I’m not much of a verbal person, so I think that would make it even harder. I just need to decide…do it, or stop whining about it and say I’ll make it next year. :)
Great painting to illustrate your post! Kinda says is all with a bit of humor.
I’m amazingly behind as well, at only half of your present word count, and if asked to place a bet on whether or not I’ll make the 50k, I have to admit I’d hesitate. I’m not totally sure I’ll make it.
But…
I’m not yet totally sure I won’t either. I know we’re a third of the way through and being behind it’s a temptation to see “…the writing on the wall…” as clearly telling you, “Hun, this ain’t gonna fly.”
I would, however, counsel holding off on any do-or-die decisions at present. You still got plenty of time and lot can happen in 20 days. For now just do what you can and call it good and maybe, just maybe you’ll hit a streak of inspiration when all the literary flowers you’ve planted drop seeds and they begin to sprout themselves in that amazing writing miracle called “It Just Seemed To Write Itself!”*. It happened to me this morning and a 1600 word scene turned into an organic 3k.
Maybe you’ll make a push over the next day or so that reaches the minimum you need to scale back from 2k a day to the minimum of 1667…or even less if you push further. You’re pretty close. All it takes is a couple of those “Just Seemed To Write Itself!” moments and you’ll be there. I find that even as small of a breathing space as few hundred words less can make a difference.
If however, your internal clock strikes midnight and you know it just isn’t going to happen, don’t feel bad or guilty. It’s just one of those things. So write less…shrug…at least you’re writing! That’s what counts. You already know you’re not going to give up on this idea and there are other NaNos, maybe not as prestigious and cool as the November offering, but if you need a NaNo-like structure to keep you going, they are out there. I’ll buddy with you anytime.
Just do what you can and remain sane at the same time. If it ain’t fun, it ain’t worth doin’!
Hugs and admiration,
Andre’
* P.S. You know and I know and we all know there ain’t no such a thing as a “It Just Wrote Itself” moment. It’s only ever an “It Just Wrote Itself” when we’ve written enough prior so that our right brains have something to work with…kinda like you need money to make money. LOL!
Thank you for that – your comments always help, always make me feel better. I’m going to try, and I’ll see what happens. I suppose it’s unrealistic to expect this one to write as easily as the first, when I had literally had every scene for that one in my head for years. It was all there, whole, and just needed me to put it on paper. This one? Hidden, and seemingly determined to remain so. :)