November has ended and I’ve achieved the rank of NaNoWriMo Master for the third year in a row. With GREAT DIFFICULTY. If you follow my story highlights on Instagram and Facebook, you know I had no word days when the suggested minimum to reach 50k is about 1.5k. All writers get busy with regular life or get stuck in a tricky section of a book. Lack of energy, focus, or desire can make challenges like NaNoWriMo feel impossible.
Since graduating college and working as a contract designer and website builder, I’ve challenged myself to find time to write despite the stress of picky clients and exhausting work days. This particular year of NaNoWriMo revealed a few tricks and “sad truths” I used to complete this lofty goal. I’m breaking this “how to” into some unconventional categories, but hopefully it gives you a little more encouragement and hope than a pat on the back.
When You Can’t Find Time…
I was typing away at my story when my brother came to my desk. His question: “What possessed you to stay awake at midnight?” While he and my other brother play video games until 2 in the morning, I complain if I’m up past 11. But with a full day of work, cooking in the evening, and occasionally going out in the early evening, I didn’t have any other time.
So I pushed myself. Sometimes I woke up earlier to get an hour of writing in before work. Most times I typed from 9pm onward, stopping only when I couldn’t see straight. For NaNoWriMo, I saw this as a necessity. On the other side of November, I’m realizing I have more time than I thought. Instead of hitting the couch or scrolling on YouTube, I can utilize that time for the story I love. There’s plenty of time, it’s just how you use it.
When the Story Gets Complicated…
The novel I worked on in November is a third rewrite for a story I love and know by heart. Why write it again: the characters were plain, the description atrocious, the plot holes gargantuan, and I gained a billion ideas to make it twenty times better. Despite my excitement at reviving this book, I started the month in a particularly difficult section. I feel like every writer hits a part in their book (probably in the middle) where it’s simply hard to write.
Here’s where I bring in a “sad truth”: not every word you write will make the final cut. I tend to edit while I write, selecting the perfect phrase or scene to fill a space. But for this challenge, I rambled. Dialogue ran longer than seemed necessary. Descriptions got left behind so I could focus on actions. I have a very strong feeling when my editor hat pops on, I’ll be removing and adding a lot. And that’s okay. When seeking to write and hit a goal, the editor cap needs to sit on the desk so you can focus on connecting the dots. The lines won’t be straight, but that’s not the goal in this moment.
Just write.
When There’s So Many Distractions…
Between work and my nosy family, there’s a lot of sounds, questions, and silhouettes appearing in my peripheral. Even when they’re not breathing down my neck, projects and to-dos crowd my mind and stall my fingers. I’ll admit to being a crabby-puss when an email or shoulder tap interrupted my already stuttering writing session.
Not the greatest moments, but I did find a few solutions. On and off, I’ve listened to music while writing. Results usually vary, though I’ve found lo-fi to be useful in setting the mood and tuning out the tv. If sitting and glaring at my computer is getting me nowhere, I shut it down and go for a walk or take a shower. Getting my eyes off a digital screen and onto physical reality helps clear my senses and spur new thoughts. Blood flow and a snack are good for the brain.
Personal tip: peppermints act like a “brain reset” for me. Give it a shot or find a food that refocuses your mind (and comment below about what resets your brain; it might help someone else).
When NaNoWriMo Makes Writing Un-fun…
Honestly, any goal can frustrate. Using the NaNoWriMo website, you can create personal writing goals. They’ll calculate how many words you need a day, showcase your averages and best writing times, and give you badges for mile markers. Perfect for a visual person like me… until I’m several thousand words off course and haven’t written in two days. I don’t even look at my other projects because I haven’t touched them in so long; I don’t want to see the failure when it was me not inputting my success.
So why do I put myself through writing challenges? They’re not fun and add stress to something I love. But also, they force me to make time for something I love. For example, my mother will periodically ask about my book progress. My first thought is aggravation, but I quickly realize this is because she’s revealed my laziness or avoidance for one reason or another. I’m suddenly spurred to write or submit a story to get published in a magazine so I next time I can answer “here’s my accomplishment.”
Goals are a well-meaning mother. Or cattleprod… whichever you prefer. Writers don’t always want to write. A goal gives us something to strive for and a reason to dive into worlds we enjoy and fight through scenes we despise. Change your perspective of the goal.
When You Can’t See the Story…
You may describe this as a creative block, but I picture it as a fog or “mental blindness.” My stories play across my mind’s eye like a movie that I can skip through and change dialogue or actions. During NaNoWriMo, I was writing blind most of the time. The pictures weren’t clear, the dialogue garbled. Actually, the sequel that respurred my interest was playing through my head while I tried to finish book 1.
When this situation occurs, I change writing methods. Ever heard of pantsers and planners? These are writing styles that describe how one approaches their keyboard. Pantsers write whatever comes to mind while planners organize their approach. I lean toward pantser while writing from top to bottom. When things are garbled, I’ll jump into planner mode and write backstory or develop maps. If a future chapter is clearer than the current, I’ll skip to there and return to where I was. Changing methods can spur new ideas and reveal things you didn’t see before.
Go Forth and Write!
I’ve read all sorts of writing advice. “Write a thousand words a day.” “Get 100 rejections a year.” Each of these lofty goals strive to get you typing away at your wonderful story.
But life gets complicated. You feel burnt, bruised, and untalented. The words don’t come easily and you suddenly believe you’ve lost the thirst for stories. The catch-all advice makes you resentful and question your whole purpose in picking up a pen.
Hence my odd titles. These were questions I had to ask myself throughout NaNoWriMo. I brute-forced many writing sessions this past month, but realized more than ever that I need a rhythm. Life without writing is no good, so no matter the challenges, I’m gonna find a way to write a little bit a day. And I hope you’ll join me through the good and bad.