Hey everyone... So this is my first NaNo and while I was prepping for November, everywhere I looked people warned about the dreaded Week 2. "Nah, not me," I thought. "I'll push right on through it!"
Well, I'm here now, and I'm beginning to worry. Week 1 was a beautiful blur, but in the last few days, things have really begun to stall. It's not that I've hit a creative block, because the words still come when I sit down to write (which is still something to be thankful for, I guess). The problem is that I keep finding excuses not to sit down - too tired, too busy, too stressed. Plus being about 3k words behind pace only adds to my writer's sense of self-loathing, and we all know what a vicious cycle that can become :)
I was hoping that by putting my own defeatist misery out there for all to see, we could help each other out a little. Do any of you feel this same way? What are you doing to get beyond it? Any tricks, tips, suggestions? "Keep on keeping on?"
The last thing I want to do is not see this novel through. Talk me off the ledge?
Pitiful, but hopeful still,
Travis
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61,450 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 13 09
It's my first year of NaNo, also, and what's really gotten me through that nasty "I do not want to finish!" part is going to a couple of Nashville write-ins. I got some good advice, and the word-wars where we competed to see who could write the most in 15 minutes forced me to move past the placees where I was stuck.
----------I am the very model of a modern major general.
NaNo '09: The Quinn (Won!)
57,613 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 13 28
I also had a bit of a struggle with this, and posted a request for ideas, I'll bump those up to the top. People gave me great suggestions. My fav: write something incredibly self-indulgent--something cliche, trite, boring, typcial, crappy, sensational, I mean, if you have to, stick in a part with yourself starring in a car chase/sex scene/knife fight/beauty pageant winning/whatever sweet little treat will make you laugh and get interested. YOu can remove it later, and amazingly, even if it doesn't contribute much in the big picture, it will pull you in.
Let me know if that works for you. It helped me shake off some of my seriousness about wanting it to be "good". Lily
57,613 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 14 03
OH! I just realized your novel is autobiographical already, so writing yourself in is notgoing to help much.
Since it is such an intense and heavy duty subject, maybe writing on a tangent for awhile might help you ease back into it.
In tragic frightening situations there is always an element of bizarreness and humor, and you can follow that, even exaggerate it, you can remove it later, if you don't like what it adds, like maybe two neighbors that hate each other showing up at the same time with casseroles for the family. Or "well-meaning" people saying the most ghastly inappropriate things which are supposed to be nice or comforting. Or somebody melting down because someone showed up at the hospital wearing two different shoes, like it matters a great deal.
I hope this helps more than the other did.
20,168 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 14 46
I don't know if I'll be much help, but just wanted to add that I've been going through the same thing. So weird, it's not that there isn't anything to write, it's just that I have this aversion to pull up the file! I don't want to write on it. I do everything else but write. It's like I have a will to lose just to get the pressure off I guess. Anyway, didn't know about any troubles with week two, glad to know there was so I don't feel so alone. It helps knowing that, it helped knowing I could add something silly, or exciting or off subject, if I wanted to. Took a little pressure off, even if I didn't want to, I could! The one day of doubling helped because I could meet it, I'm so behind it was a small amount, so I did it. I keep saying just don't quit, so I haven't quit, I just haven't wrote anything the last two days! I'm going to a write in tomorrow and know I'll get something done there. The emails from NaNo help me keep thinking this thing is possible. Good luck!
33,729 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 14 56
Thanks for the suggestions everyone, they were very helpful. Lily, you're right that writing myself into my story doesn't make much of a difference, since I'm already there :) But your ideas for silliness or craziness are great, and I think it will help a lot. Especially since I think I'm hitting a lull in my story that needs some excitement (even if it is completely untrue!)...
The hardest thing for me is to strive for the word goals but not obsess over them. When I exceed 1667 words in day, I'm floating. But when I just can't seem to make my goal, it's like the world is crashing down all around me! I think I just need to take a step back and be thankful that I AM WRITING. That is enough to be excited for in and of itself.
Glad to have such fine "writer friends" to pick me up. Thanks guys.
PS. I'll be going to my first write-in on Sunday at JJ's, so I'm sure that will be a great time. Hope to see some of you there.
50,137 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 15 24
Can I suggest having a really good reward ready?
----------Take something that is only ever a treat and buy it for yourself, but then don't let yourself have it until you reach your word count.
Maybe you really like charleston chews... Nice after dinner treat if you hit 1667.. Or a massage if you get to a certain goal by the end of the week. These tricks help, I promise.
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61,450 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 15 27
I love the sound of that. I am so going to do this.
----------I am the very model of a modern major general.
NaNo '09: The Quinn (Won!)
57,132 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 16 20
I hit a wall last night...hit it hard. I was stuck on a scene that didn't seem to be working well. And, trust me, my Inner Editor was chomping at the bit to use those golden scissors that I gave her. (I did take Fly's advice to seal her in an envelope, with a cookie so she doesn't starve...we'll see how long that lasts).
So, I decided, when I woke up this morning, that I was going to jump to a different part of the story because I had a really clear idea for how that particular should unfold. Writing out of sequence turned out to be okay. I still haven't completely figured out what to do with the "stuck" scene, but I got several ideas for what *could* be a solution.
And, I wound up writing 4,694 words today...the highest one day count for me so far.
Not a bad writing day at all. :-)
Lyn
56,724 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 16 35
Lily's earlier thread where people were making suggestions on how to get unstuck really helped me, too. Out of the blue two new characters suggested themselves to me, and I'm writing one of them in right now - and I love her. She is making such a difference in the story and really giving it (and me) momentum. I agree with the writing rewards, too - even the smallest little things motivate me. (Stupid, I know.) I liked how in the pep talk from today Maureen Johnson was saying the thing about rewarding herself with a stale Oreo if she finished so many words, or whatever. Hey, whatever works!
50,227 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 17 04
Janewilk's onto something. I sailed right through this week and got a head from a huge deficit just by letting the characters go. I have one I never planned or saw coming, and she's been a great plot driver. And romantic interest for my protagonist. And I've had one character who is central to the story -- hinting at her, building it up, then when I introduced her things took off in a new direction.
So my advice is to try throwing in a new character, or blowing an incidental character into a pivotal one, or something. Getting them drunk and rambling on for pages of dialogue might work too.
60,448 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 17 25
I hit it the wall two days ago. So hard, in fact, that I had a post in the Smoking Pen (It's a virtual bar on the 50's forum) where my MC and I both showed up only to find the entrance blocked by a brick wall. We swiped two sledgehammers from the back of a pickup belonging to one of the writers in the bar, and started chipping away at it.
For some reason, this helped. I think it was that I was writing something, even if it had nothing to do with my story. I can pump out nonsense like it's nothing. Then I brought back a character that was only supposed to be at the beginning of the story, and let him take over. The story went where I hadn't planned, but it works and it's moving again.
I think nonsense works because it frees you from being believable. You can always edit it back out.
----------Winner 2005: The Tribe of Palmetto Bay
Winner 2006: The Blue Light
Winner 2007: Fido
Winner 2008: Disappearance
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52,542 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 17 25
wall?
what wall?
I'm in a labyrinth of words!
50,796 / 50,000
Nov 14, 2009 - 07 04
I'm not sure if I hit a wall, but well, I tripped over myself and started rolling down a hill. Now, I'm stumbling to my feet and pushing forward, but I just need to get out of this rocky ground. The next chapter is when things start... moving.
At least... I hope it is.
----------I remember when signatures used to like... mean something to me. LOL, life.
25,190 / 50,000
Nov 14, 2009 - 07 10
My MC is being stubborn. GAH.
----------Athens is really just a big typo. Y'see, "s" is right next to "a" on the keyboard. They meant to name it Athena, but the secretary wasn't a very good typist.
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50,004 / 50,000
Nov 14, 2009 - 08 34
I wrote in too much violence and now don't want to go back to it. I might have to just skip ahead to some happier times and fill in the connections later.
----------"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic to it. Begin it now." -- Goethe