Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 15 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Yesterday’s late-night writing session added another 300 words to my total. According to my NaNo stats page, I am on track to reach my goal in March.  The thought makes me smile, and it stifles the doubting voice in my head. The little devil whispers in my ear, telling me I can never finish a novel. If I allowed those words to influence me, I would give up. But I know better. Ray Bradbury said, “You fail only if you stop writing,” and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 14 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Through sheer determination, my Nano total has reached the foothills of 5,000 words. Some may scoff, but I count it as a major success. My scheduled writing time of 10pm is approaching, and we will see if Friday the 13th offers any change in luck.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 13 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 12 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

My house is full of workers. They crawl through every room like ants, scrambling to complete the remodeling project. Painters mud and sand walls until they are as smooth as glass, then they apply primer and the glorious coat of finish color. Installers place appliances in their designated space, and the electrician hangs pretty new fixtures with gleaming lights. Blue painter’s tape mark needed touch-ups, and we log them on the ever-changing punch list.

The goal is within reach, and their payday is around the corner. Motivation is at an all-time high. I answer questions, offer advice, and make last-minute decisions, which highjacks my focus. Projects have a natural ebb and flow. We race from expectant beginnings, lose steam at our dark mid-points until we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Somehow, we will arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. I am stuck and distracted from my NaNo writing but wrapping up one project gives me the courage and the confidence to dream of other endings.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 11 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 10 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Monday marks the start of week two of NaNo. I am wondering if I will ever hit my stride. Yesterday’s total of 356 pushes my overall word count to almost 3,500 so far. There are plenty of writers who manage three thousand words in a single day. I could be sad, discouraged, and succumb to thoughts of throwing in the towel. Nothing could be further from my reality.

I consider every word I write a hard-won victory. I never assumed getting to fifty thousand words would be an easy task. Chaos rules my days and carving out ten, twenty, or thirty-minute blocks where I can concentrate on composing a story just short of being a miracle. Reviewing my commitments, I see a break in my responsibilities, and it offers me a glimmer of hope, so I keep fighting the good fight.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 9 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Yesterday did not begin as I planned. It progressed by presenting me with a never-ending list of chores that were completely different and in total opposition to my well-conceived writing strategy. Unfortunately, many items were necessary, and my choice boiled down to whether I wanted to deal with them now or later. I finished these annoying tasks and moved forward. A much-needed nap punctuated the day’s non-stop activity. Then, after adding a whopping 327 words to my total, it was time for bed.

Feeling somewhat wiser, I composed a note which I left on next year’s calendar. It admonishes future me to assume I will write for NaNo. I also told myself to guarantee a better start, I should be sure to complete any ongoing projects in October. Live and learn.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 8 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Well-laid plans have a glorious and terribly irritating ability to laugh in your face, right before they crumble into a bazillion tiny pieces and disintegrate into nothingness. Yesterday I decided Friday would be a day off with a reasonable bedtime. Silly me. I stayed up much too late, creating new images, tweaking documents, taking notes, re-reading passages, and writing 300 brand spanking extra words before falling asleep.

Today the preset on my coffee maker malfunctioned. Someone had the nerve to suggest it might have been operator error, but I refuse to entertain such a wild notion. Whatever the reason, instead of the expected pleasant and serene early morning silence, I woke to the crash, boom, bang of life in overdrive. At least there was piping hot coffee with one touch of a button. Now, we are working on Plan B.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 7 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

TGIF. Friday took its sweet time coming this week. Yesterday developed into another day loaded with urgent responsibilities with no connections to any writing activities. My Nano session didn’t begin until after 10 pm when my brain and body had already hit the tired setting. Is it any wonder I fell asleep at my keyboard? I woke to several pages filled with the letter “M.” I omitted them in my word count, along with the incoherent gibberish preceding them.

When the delete key and I finished, I had a whopping total of 163 words. I’m planning to take Friday night off and go to bed early. If I am lucky, the aroma of my preset coffee maker will wake me. Armed with a bracing cup of Joe, I look forward to enjoying the luxury of two or three undisturbed hours and letting my story flow onto the page. Then I’ll let the house rock-and-roll.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 6 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer