It’s Day 7 and you’re in one of three places: on target, below target, or over target.
If you’re on or over target, that’s awesome! Me too! High five! Keep truckin’ and you’ll ace this thing. Don’t forget to ask your fellow NaNos for help if you get stuck so you can keep going.
If you’re below target, let’s talk.
There are a zounds-load of reasons why anyone can be below target right now. Maybe you had a personal or family disaster. You might’ve underestimated the amount of time it takes you to write 1667 words. The story could be refusing to work. This writing thing is harder than you thought. OMG, the news.
And so on.
Here are some important things to think about:
- Whatever you have written now, it’s that many more words than you had written on Halloween.
- Winning NaNo is not that big a deal. It’s cool and all, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s about as useful as turning in your homework a day early.
- Losing NaNo doesn’t mean you aren’t a “real” writer.
- Wherever you’re at, you’re probably only one or two super-productive days from being on target again.
- The physical and mental health of yourself and your loved ones is so much more important than writing.
- Losing NaNo doesn’t mean you aren’t a “real” writer.
- If your writing days are getting more productive, you’ll probably be fine, because your creative muscles are growing.
- Write-ins are a really great way to meet other people in the same boat. You’re not alone.
- Losing NaNo doesn’t mean you aren’t a “real” writer.
And finally, losing NaNo doesn’t mean you aren’t a “real” writer. I know a lot of professional writers, and while most of them have heard of NaNo, less than half participate. It’s not for everyone.
But don’t give up just because it’s hard! If you have a story to tell, tell that story. Maybe your life will only give you time to write 500 words per day right now. Write those 500 words. Get into the habit. If you write 500 words per day, you’ll write 15,000 words by the end of the month. You know what 15,000 words equals?
About 1/4 of a novel. (Also, 2-3 short stories or one novella.)
Get back into those word mines, penmonkey!