It's been a while. I've neglected you for a couple weeks now. I promise it was not intentional. I just decided to take the craziest ride of my life, and bit off more than I can properly chew. I reached a critical point, not long ago, where my synapses went into overdrive. I realized that if I kept working full time, catering to family, and attending school, I would have no time to actually write. For an aspiring author, this is obviously distressing news.
Not distressing, that term is not strong enough. I'd probably say it was catastrophic news. This came after many other issues had decided to make their way to me and plop themselves onto my already full plate. The only available answer was to quit my job and NOT get another one. Crazy? Yes, very. Necessary in my case? I think so. The true question is what happens from here?
As things stand, I'm not finished with my B.A. in Creative Writing. I wanted to have my degree before I was in this position. We all know how plans are though; they never go where they are supposed to. I'm still taking my classes (I actually only have a few semesters left, which will no doubt fly by) and trying to make my way through the possibilities of earning income, which is in some way related to my field of study, rather than throwing away my time at a job which will not build a portfolio. Somehow, "I can help fix your internet", does not seem to garner points on a writing resume. Weird. It has been a long couple of weeks crammed with various duties. Things are beginning to settle down, so the real struggle begins. Oxymoron, I know.
I've been doing NaNoWriMo this month, a very valuable exercise in writing insanity, which will hopefully produce something of quality. In addition to this, I need to edit another manuscript (my first edit!). It is probably time to drag out all those nifty writing links I've been saving up for the future. As they say, it is "go time". I've already learned that this journey is not for the scared, or the faint of heart. It is not for those who dream of a "someday". NaNoWriMo is teaching me that every moment is THAT moment, every day can be a step towards "someday". I've always been able to write without worrying about writer's block (this may be due to my ADD-esque writing style), but NaNoWriMo challenges this. To meet my goal, I need to write a certain amount of words per day. If I fall behind, I have to write more during the following days to catch up. The writing lags and it can be depressing watching the spillage of word junk accumulate on the screen. I can understand the desire to stop at that moment. To go hide from the manuscript you are writing and which seems to mock you and your dreams. Don't hide though! Keep going, press onward! Truly, it is a pain in the butt, yet it works.
Writing is a sport. You heard me...(figuratively speaking). A sport requires intense training, dedication, perseverance and practice. Sound familiar? I thought so. Writing takes skill, but if you have the determination, you can learn to acquire the skill. If you want the "trophy", you have to do the work. No one ever expects to have a perfect sprint, or three-point shot, without first working towards the completion of those goals. As writers, we cannot expect to write the perfect book, or even the perfect scene at the first draft. NaNoWriMo is teaching me the value of pressing on, though the work might be substandard, to reach the end goal of completing the first draft. Once the first draft is done, I'm able to go back and edit. More practice. You can always rewrite once you finish, but if you get distracted or depressed about the work, you may never finish. Remember to allow your writing to suck. Don't look back, keep going. Whether you're doing NaNoWriMo or other writing, keep going. There's obviously times to take a small break, but if you find yourself avoiding your story, you'll probably just have to plunk yourself down and continue to write. Then make sure to give yourself proper credit, no matter how crappy you feel your writing is, for the dedication and perseverance you exhibited in finishing a manuscript. That is a HUGE accomplishment, whether you were able to do it in a month or ten years.
It starts with just the dedication to write something each day. Perhaps writing thoughts in a journal, or creating a poem would be a good start. If you dream of writing, it is NEVER too late to begin. Minutes a day. I wish you all the best luck and will continue to share as much as possible of this crazy journey. If you've never done NaNoWriMo, or are not sure what it is, check it out!
I want to know about NaNoWriMo!
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