What Happened ?!?!

If you've followed my social media accounts you'd know that I had some serious aspirations and goals for NaNoWriMo. I was going to work on/write two full novels for a total of 100,000 words in 30 days, and possibly dabble in a third work that wouldn't leave me alone.

I started off strong, I had my notes, scene cards, character sketches and great writing sound tracks.

So what happened?

Sometime around day 13 I faltered. The first two weeks it was an honest struggle to get into my stories, even the one that I had written out scene cards for. I liked my characters, that wasn't it. I had plenty of time, so that wasn't it either.

I fell into the trap that many creative types, including writers, often fall into. I started to doubt my work, and my ability to tell stories. That coupled with the exhaustion of just entering my second trimester of pregnancy stopped my creative process dead in its tracks.

I had ideas and a plan, but I completely lacked the inspiration and motivation to get my ideas on the page. So I took a break. I crocheted, I read, I watched a few of my favorite TV shows on Netflix.

Then suddenly around Thanksgiving I had the compulsion to start working again. But I didn't start until November 27th. I let that inkling to write grow, and instead of forcing myself to work on a set project- AKA the two books that I really had planned on writing - my mind went to the third project that wouldn't leave me alone.

I did the math. In order to win by midnight on November 30th, I had to write 25,404. Which broke down to 6,351 words a day. Almost four times the number of words needed to win had I written every day that month. I buckled down, plugged in my head phones and then set myself to work.

It was hard. It felt like I was pulling my own teeth out. Two days it took all day of little sprints to get there. But I got there, every. single. day.

My muse didn't suddenly show up and help, little elves didn't sneak into my office in the night to finish my work. No. I finished. I put my nose to the grindstone and finished the challenge by the skin of my teeth.

That is was it takes to write everyday, even when you don't want to.

One of my favorite sayings from a famous horse training clinician is this:
"Average talent, plus hard work and dedication, will always beat talent by itself."

The second of my favorites is this:
"Don't let anybody's opinion kill your belief in yourself."

While both of these quotes are directly related to horse training and riding, they are completely able to be translated to writing. With direct effect. 

I think we as writers, or creative people in general, need to remember these. Make a sign, make a note card. Hang them where we can see them every single day. Repeat them, and never lose your belief that hard work and dedication to your craft is the best trait someone can have.

Keep writing, my friends!