The Real Goal (Post-NaNoWriMo Thoughts)
I can do a shit load of writing in November. At this point, that goes without saying. For the past few years though, that's the only time I've been able to write consistently.
THE CYCLE
November: 30 days of nonstop writing
December: Take month off to recover
January: New Year's Resolution to write daily
Early/Mid-January: Resolution fails
Late January-October: Struggle to get back into writing
That's really why I attack NaNoWriMo with such single-minded desperation. I know it's the only time of the year that I'm guaranteed to get a decent amount of writing done.
You know what? That's about to change.
That list above… it's clear where the problem starts. By the end of November, I've formed a habit. I'm deeply in touch with my stories. By the end of December? I'm a literary couch potato.
This year, I'm not taking a month off. I wrote yesterday, and I wrote today, and I'm going to keep on writing. I won't be doing it for hours at a time each day, but 15 minutes, 30 minutes? Whatever I can spare. I just want it to be a consistent, ongoing habit, not a month long binge followed by 11 months of struggle.
With that in mind, I have this chart…
I want to be able to mark off every day in December, but not just that. I made charts for 2020, too. Will I end up with 365 little green squares? Maybe not, but my goal is to come as close to that as possible.
We'll see how it goes…
THE CYCLE
November: 30 days of nonstop writing
December: Take month off to recover
January: New Year's Resolution to write daily
Early/Mid-January: Resolution fails
Late January-October: Struggle to get back into writing
That's really why I attack NaNoWriMo with such single-minded desperation. I know it's the only time of the year that I'm guaranteed to get a decent amount of writing done.
You know what? That's about to change.
That list above… it's clear where the problem starts. By the end of November, I've formed a habit. I'm deeply in touch with my stories. By the end of December? I'm a literary couch potato.
This year, I'm not taking a month off. I wrote yesterday, and I wrote today, and I'm going to keep on writing. I won't be doing it for hours at a time each day, but 15 minutes, 30 minutes? Whatever I can spare. I just want it to be a consistent, ongoing habit, not a month long binge followed by 11 months of struggle.
With that in mind, I have this chart…
I want to be able to mark off every day in December, but not just that. I made charts for 2020, too. Will I end up with 365 little green squares? Maybe not, but my goal is to come as close to that as possible.
We'll see how it goes…