NaNoWriMo Updates

Well, here we are…one week into NaNoWriMo. How do you all feel? Personally, I feel optimistic. Though I never thought I would ever write a book, let alone do something this crazy, I have been doing pretty well and I continue to remain excited and motivated. I have only been able to write for two or three hours a night, once my kids are both in bed. For the past seven days, I have only had one day where I wrote less than 1,000 words.

On Day 6 I simply did not feel like writing but I sat in front of my computer anyway. I opened my story and I stared at the page. Eventually, I did write a little (186 words) but nothing compared to what I typically write. I was depressed but knew that if I pushed my self to do it a few things would happen. I would have caused myself to reach a burnout point, I would have lost motivation if it seemed more like a chore than a hobby, and I would have made a terrible story arc causing myself even more edits than there already will be. I did what was best and took a step back for the day. When I was upset I had to remind myself that 186 words were better than none, it was 186 more words that I had that morning. On Day 7 I finished with 2,010 words being written, typical for me. I tend to write betwen1,000 and 2,000 words in that short time frame. There will always be ups and downs…tis the way of life.

I have found one big problem while I continue to push through NaNoWriMo…the junk food. For those of you who don’t know me, I follow a primarily ketogenic lifestyle. That was until my father-in-law became a bad influence and started feeding me ice cream every night. But doing this has kicked all chances of keto out the door. I have two kids, so naturally, I have loads of candy in the house. My willpower is gone…energy spent on writing. So what do I do…eat a disgusting amount of junk food of course! Ugh…I am so mad at myself but I know I can get back to where I want to be once this is finished. The one day I did not snack while writing is the one day I only wrote 186 words. Both my husband and father-in-law have turned into scientists…announcing the correlation between my snacking on junk food and hitting a large word count for the day. I suppose I cannot refute that until I prove them wrong! Bring on the healthy foods!!

Aside from snacking, things have gone well. It is incredibly difficult not to edit… Each time I sit down to write I have to basically fight with my editor, telling her not to go back and change things, worry about flow, character voice, etc. All of these issues can be fixed later. What matters most right now is word count. So…No Contractions People!! Just kidding, but if you really are desperate at the end…go for it!

It is so funny how when I first sat to write I was so worried about every detail being perfect. Now, I do not even know what I will write. I am a plantser, meaning I have a basic plot and some subplots but I do not know exactly what will happen.

This leaves a lot of it up to my imagination, well more like my characters’ choices. While writing Maria, ooo I love her character so much so far, I find she takes over the story. I love how I sit to write and suddenly, my fingers are typing and words are rapidly showing up on the pages. Every so often I will have another Idea come to my mind. I do take a break every few minutes to refresh…but once I jump onto twitter to check out what everyone is doing my conscious does this…

I also have to say that having a writing buddy during this grueling time is necessary. Mine is invaluable. She has become more than a writing buddy…a friend even. I am thankful we are here for one another. When I had a tough writing day, she was here to keep me motivated. The same goes for when her daily word count is lower than she would like. We also help one another with story issues. It is nice having someone there who is going through this with you, letting you know that you are not alone.

Before I end this post, I would love to thank a few people who have been instrumental in my NaNoWriMo success thus far. First, thank you to my husband. He tweets daily NaNo inspiration for me. He also congratulates me on my daily word counts, no matter the number. He is going to even take the kids on weekends and leave me at the library so that I can write in peace, without distractions. (P.S. I found the perfect word crawl for that too!) Secondly, I would like to thank my mother and my in-laws. My mom always tells me how proud she is and that she wants a copy when I finish. She also tells me how proud my dad would have been (RIP). My mother-in-law might not read but she is always telling me how amazing it is that I have written so many words in such a short amount of time. My father-in-law…he is the pusher and I love him for it. He doesn’t push me hard but he challenges me to write more than I initially say I will. He is amazed at my writing speed as well. I bounce ideas off of both him and my husband, both giving me great feedback. Third…Kevin James Breaux! He is the person who pushed me toward this journey. He suggested we write a book and from there it was history, here I am doing NaNoWriMo. He asks my word counts, supports me, and gives encouragement when I need it. I love you all and you have no idea how much your support means to me.

Well…that is it for updates for week one of NaNoWriMo. If you like seeing this, hearing of my journey please let me know. I can make these more regular posts if you are interested. How is your NaNoWriMo journey coming along?

P.S. If you are also participating in NaNoWriMo and want to be buddies, let me know below. Comment your link and I will for sure become your writing buddy.