23,867 words on November 27. I think it’s safe to say that I will not be winning NaNo this year. But I am going to finish. I have written every day. I do have a viable project that I can continue to work on in tiny bites over the next howeverlongittakes.

It’s a time-travelling lesbian romance and it’s delighting the crap out of me so… yeah, I’m gonna keep working on it. In my own time. Because that’s what it means to be a hobby novelist.

A snippet, if you will:

“You’re weird. I like that,” Jillary laughed. It was only to mask a sinking sensation one gets when the mysteries of the universe interrupt the course of everyday banality, like when you witness a car accident or hear of someone close to you dying unexpectedly. 

 

“Yeah, but I’m serious. I saw you and me right here on the couch. You unzipped my fly and I asked you to stop. I saw it just exactly like it happened.”

 

“Mmhm,” Jillary said skeptically. She forced a smile, assuming that that feeling had everything to do with discovering the she and her new companion may not, in fact, be living on the same level of reality. “What happened after that?” 

 

“Uh… nothing. Then I was back here and you were over… there somewhere,” she said pointing toward the bedroom. “And now we’re here, I guess.”

 

“Mmm, adorable. So I think it’s time to go to the ER.”

 

Happy NaNo, writer friends. May you all be content with what you’ve produced this year regardless of the outcome!

This is the first image that came up when I searched “time travel” and I just… sure, ok. Photo by Sebastian Voortman on Pexels.com

 

 

 

Giving Hope to the Next Gen of Writers

I had a student today–in the physically-oriented after school-type activity I teach–give, as an example of resolve, this (paraphrased) answer:

“You have to decide that you keep wanting to do something even when it’s hard or like, when you’re writing a story and you get writer’s block, you have to keep going. You can’t just stop because it’s hard because you decided to wanted to do this so you just gotta do it.”

“My friend,” I said, “are you a writer?”

“No!” he responded. “No, not really. I mean, I’m sorta writing a book. I’m trying to. But I’m not like… a real writer.”

“HOLD UP!” I said, “If you write and you take it seriously, you are a writer. If you are resolved to write a book and you are fighting through writer’s block, you are a writer. You don’t have to a successful author to be a writer. You don’t have to make money off of your writing. You don’t even have to be an adult [fyi: this is a teen]. And you don’t have to wait for me or anyone else to tell you what you are. If you write, you’re a writer if that’s what you want to be. Own it. Name it. Be it!”

Friends who follow this blog, especially those struggling through NaNo like I am, don’t read those goddamn memes on Twitter about what makes you a real writer. No such thing. If you write, you’re a writer if that’s what you want to be.

 

I’m Good Enough, Smart Enough, But I Do Not Have the Capacity For All This

I haven’t had a single day since the first two of the month where I met my word count. I’m pretty significantly behind. BUT, I’ve been writing every day and that feels pretty good.

This isn’t just my annual declaration that I’m probably going to lose to mitigate the disappointment I feel in case I do before pulling off some amazing feat of overnight writing late in the game that puts me over the top. This is me accepting that my life is too busy right now to dedicate the full amount of attention and energy needed to accomplish 50,000 words.

I AM going to lose NaNoWriMo this year and this is my attempt to make myself accept that. I am participating. I am writing every day. I’m working on a WIP I like and want to tell. And that’s the best it’s going to get this year.

AND THAT’S OK.

Photo by Shamia Casiano on Pexels.com