Dear Victoria Region,
My dear roommate who has one of the neatest story ideas has thrown in the towel. I worry after her as she was the one who initally introduced me to Nanowrimo. While I am doing well she has yet to write and keep it up. Today she quit halfway in and I am as always lost for words. I am not sure how to talk her into starting again and giving her encouragement. Part of her discouragement is my monsterous word count so quickly, but I explained to her that I don't have as many activities to carry out throughout the day as she.
So I ask you dear writers how might I encourage her back into the game? When I quit last year I felt miserable and resolved not to write again yet her I am. Often if I use this to describe things she simply says that I am me and have a strong will. I am placed much to high on a pedastal and being clumsy with my words I fear hurting her. So please any encouragement that you could give me to give her would be wonderful.
Sincerely,
Ira
----------
- Forsaken Desire - Finished
- Ira's Nano Challenge - Write a Genre I Don't Write/ Like
Challenge Rules:
- Randomly Picked By Strawberry Suite
- Can't Use Character Pool
- Have To Finish It
33,347 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 23 25
I would recommend you try to get her out into one of the Nano meets.
Seeing others who are struggling with their wordcount, and being in similar situations to her would most likely help.
For instance, my current months schedule inclues
Working fulltime
Nano
Writing a short story article and a cooking segment for a website "newspaper" each week
Moderating a forum game, as well as playing in one
Avoiding being insanely addicted to a new game I have purchased and failing
Reading 3 new books
and keeping up with about 9 shows weekly.
Some of these may seem trivial, but when you want to do everything on said list, it adds up to alot of consumed time.
Even so, I am determined to finish, mainly to prove to myself that I can still do anything I put my mind to, it boosts my confidence which well, who doesnt need? However, I was barely able to keep any form of inspiration or ethic without seeing you guys post here. Your word counts, although extremely daunting (holy crap Ira haha), after you kinda sit back and let it settle, you realize if someone can pump out over 50k in 4 days, why can't I manage in a month with all my responsibilities.
So as I seem to be rambling, just let her know the general list of what others have on their plate, and get her to a meetup. Seeing other people in a similar position as her and talking to her might help. I know the social aspect of nano can help immensely with keeping you on top of your writing.
126,858 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 23 31
This is always a hard one. No matter how much fun it is, writing a nano is a marathon -- it takes both work and discipline, along with the right idea at the right time and a host of other nebulous factors. But it's not a competition, save with oneself. If you finish, you've won. it doesn't matter if others finish earlier, or do their entire nano in haiku. It's a challenge to oneself, and winning one's first nano is an experience like few others, no matter how much or little one writes after it.
It's hard to offer any concrete advice no knowing any specifics of why she stopped -- as with many things, there's often more reasons to stop than to finish -- so knowing something of that could help.
And, if nothing else, get her to the meet-ups. Those always help, if only for plots, and dares, and other weird bits of creative synergy that can pop up. Everyone is in the same boat, after all. It's always good to meet some of the fellow passengers.
----------Nano #1: Roadside Attractions at the End of the World
Nano #2: The Adventures of the Miskatonic Elementary School Kids #1
Nano #3: Shadows of Never
Member of SFFMuse
129,092 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 23 59
Thank you the both of you for your responses. Bloodcobber you surely hit the nail on the head. She keeps track of too many things and often procrastinates or is wrapped up in her daily routine. It is seemingly hard to get her to calm down and write a word on a page. When she doesn't have any creative flow she simply gives up. Tonight she has switched stories which I thought would be a good move, but it seemed to hurt more than help.
Alcar, I wish I could explain better, but I think both of you are quite right. She needs to go to a meeting. In the write-in it was quite benefitial to me though she was there she was more wrapped up in what I was doing. I really love her writing style so I will surely try to drag her out if not to be a shield that I can hide behind. You are quite right as this is a competition a challenge to the self. For so long I always wanted to write my book having characters and ideas floating around in my head. Well last year I was in my roommates shoes and couldn't get anyting on to paper. This word count is a testiment to my resolve (which is one of the main themes of my book). This is a victory I feel in the silent chambers of my heart that I can share with my fellow writers.
I believe my roommate is having trouble with the muses so to speak. Ideas come, but it is difficult to get the ideas from her head onto paper. This then frustrates her and makes her beat herself up... A contest a challenge to the self, but in many ways we are our worst enemy.
----------- Forsaken Desire - Finished
- Ira's Nano Challenge - Write a Genre I Don't Write/ Like
Challenge Rules:
- Randomly Picked By Strawberry Suite
- Can't Use Character Pool
- Have To Finish It
33,347 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 00 05
I totally feel the whole issue with writing something down on a page.
After just finishing a day of work, I rarely want to come home and continue "working" in any shape or form. It goes from making me physically tired to mentally as well. It's an extremely stressful thing to do to yourself day in day out. However, if she can get past the issue with finding a muse (my personal solution is to listen to music when im completely drained and just let my mind wander and my fingers move). That method may not always give the best writing, but general ideas or thoughts can be found there that were lying beneath the subconscious.
If you get her out to another meetup and talking rather than just writing (I know on tuesday most of the talking I observed seemed to happen when there were only three of us left) may help bring her out of her shell. Perhaps one of us has some tiny tidbit of an idea that will be helpful to her, who knows.
129,092 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 00 09
Dear me I should be in bed. My roommate is far more talkative than I so I am sure that if I can get her to a meet up she will definitely speak to others. I think both of you are right that this is the only means that may get her writing. I want her writing because I know she wants to and I know she can do it.
----------- Forsaken Desire - Finished
- Ira's Nano Challenge - Write a Genre I Don't Write/ Like
Challenge Rules:
- Randomly Picked By Strawberry Suite
- Can't Use Character Pool
- Have To Finish It
25,056 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 07 53
Man, I totally understand where your roomate is coming from. Until I did nano for the first time last year, I totally would give up when I couldn't find the flow of the story.
If I couldn't get that massive surge of inspiration then it obviously wasn't working, so what was the point.
But somehow not only did I manage to FINISH, I managed to spectacularly catch up after taking eight days off in the middle of november (I went to mexico for my birthday that year....and wasn't allowed to take my lappy with me...) and coming back with 7 days and 20,000 words to go. I even finished a day early and got the bridge of my nose pierced in celebration....which seems like a silly celebration since i LOATHE needles but there you go.
This year, even though my story is totally fascinating me, and I really want to get into it and play with it....I'm facing the same problems: I don't have the inspiration to write. I don't have any kind of flow. I feel like I'm stumbling awkwardly from word to word and scene to scene and there's no way that anyone is going to want to read this absolute crap.
....so then I open Write Or Die (http://writeordie.drwicked.com) and set the time for 30 minutes (which is my limit for attention span...) and set it to kamikaze mode (deletes words after you stop writing for a period of time) and the severity to strict. and I write. And it doesn't matter if I won't be able to use the writing after editing in december. Because SOMETHING in that block of text will move me forward. SOMETHING will advance the story and connect me to it again.
People keep saying "I can't do it, I can't do it." but the wonderful, amazing, awesome thing about NaNo is that EVERYONE can do it. You just have to be willing to sacrifice your inner editor :)
----------129,092 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 10 27
Thank you very much for your words Tennyo. I managed to convince her to join me for Saturday so there is still some hope. Also I hope to give her some encouragement over the next few days. I think without me around for an afternoon (today) as well she can devote her focus on her story.
----------- Forsaken Desire - Finished
- Ira's Nano Challenge - Write a Genre I Don't Write/ Like
Challenge Rules:
- Randomly Picked By Strawberry Suite
- Can't Use Character Pool
- Have To Finish It
126,858 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 10 40
And yeah, as others have hinted: getting oneself something to celebrate winning (and NOT getting if if one fails) is a huge motivator and a perfectly valid one. Can also buy certain foods or something for every so many thousand words: every little biut can help, especially in week 2.
----------Nano #1: Roadside Attractions at the End of the World
Nano #2: The Adventures of the Miskatonic Elementary School Kids #1
Nano #3: Shadows of Never
Member of SFFMuse
129,092 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 10 59
Food! Of course~ Thank you for the idea Alcar. I could promise to go to a restaruant I typically hate, but she loves if I can see her get 2,000 words with her story. I am going to propose this plan to her by note. I'm sure that should motivate her since we've not eaten there for some time XD.
----------- Forsaken Desire - Finished
- Ira's Nano Challenge - Write a Genre I Don't Write/ Like
Challenge Rules:
- Randomly Picked By Strawberry Suite
- Can't Use Character Pool
- Have To Finish It
30,439 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 18 51
My wife actually bought me a big bag of halloween candy on November first, when it went on sale. Every time I finish a one-hour word sprint, I get a couple of tootsie rolls or a mini-box of Dots. I hate to say that it's incentive, but considering I don't get them unless I stick to one solid hour of writing...And considering that they are some of my favourite candies...
----------13,332 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 13 50
Oh my! I didn't expect to stumble upon a thread directed towards me! I am the slacking roommate in question. Thank you all for such wonderful suggestions, encouragement and commiserating. I do indeed have a busy schedule, but I would like to tell everyone who responded that I am definitely back in the game! Besides all of the encouragement from fellow Wrimos, I have also as added incentive the offer from CreateSpace which was recently posted in the news section. As an extra motivator I have actually signed up for CreateSpace and taken the steps as far as creating the cover. Of course, I need a book to put inside of it, so now I simply -must- finish if I want to have a lovely keepsake of my efforts.
I really enjoyed the write-in at UVic earlier in the week (and playing witness to the Stickam virtual meetup last night), and I would love to go to additional meetups. Sadly my work schedule gets in the way of weekday events, but my weekends are free and I will be keeping an eye on the local schedule. Thank you once again for all of the kind words!
----------25,056 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 17 11
I'm glad my stickam junkie-ness could encourage ^_^
It's so much easier for me to do things that way because I have so many friends in so many far away places, and I want to be able to participate in NaNo with them, too :)
Add to that the fact that I tell ALL MY REGULAR customers that I'm writing a novel in 30 days and suddenly if I don't make it I TOTALLY lose face lol. Plus I'm a little bit...hmmm.....competitive, I suppose.
----------30,439 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 22 51
I really enjoyed the write-in at UVic earlier in the week (and playing witness to the Stickam virtual meetup last night), and I would love to go to additional meetups. Sadly my work schedule gets in the way of weekday events, but my weekends are free and I will be keeping an eye on the local schedule. Thank you once again for all of the kind words!
You should come with us to Camas tomorrow at 3. I'm already picking up Ira, I could get you at the same time :D
----------33,347 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 23 12
haha Steph, competitiveness was obvious since you felt obligated to outdo my wordcount yesterday by like 400-500 :P
Now i have to do the virtual nano to try and keep ahead hahaha
25,056 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 23 59
*shifty eyes*
I don't know what you're talking about........
----------33,347 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 00 00
Sure you don't. *rolls eyes*