After posting here on Wednesday about not working on my novel, I had a breakthrough on Thursday morning. I realized that the main reason I was feeling overwhelmed by it was my own expectations.
I’ve been a writer for quite a long time, and I’ve published two non-fiction books. But I’m relatively new to fiction, and very new to long-form novels. I was thinking about it, and yes, I successfully finished NaNoWriMo in 2013 – but I was working with a partner, and relied on that partnership for support. I finished NaNo again in 2014 – but I didn’t finish the novel, just the 50,000 words that met the goal. That was only half of the book I’m working on.
Apparently, in the back of my mind, I’ve been worried about failing, about the novel not being good enough. It’s because stories are so precious to me, a lifelong bookworm, that I’ve had this resistance.
Just realizing this and bringing it forward in my consciousness has freed up a whole lot of that energy. I recalled how much fun it is to work on the novel, that it’s only a first draft (and I have the tools to make it better once it’s done), and that, as in life itself, it’s the journey that’s the most important thing, not the outcome.
Thursday was already a full day, with work and social plans, but I got up Friday morning and added 1361 words to my novel, which is now at 71,618 out of approximately 100K. Woo hoo! The weekend was busy and full too, so I haven’t done more than that. But I’m not worried any longer. I know I’ll get up tomorrow morning and write some more words. I’m back in the groove. Yay!
Let’s see…as far as other goals go, what have I done since Wednesday? I’ve done some more planning and brainstorming for my business, Feline Dreamers, and a blog post and some other work on it as well. I’ve done a lot of drumming, rehearsing for our upcoming show. Yesterday I went cross-country skiing all day, which was fabulous fun and good exercise to boot. I did a bit of meditation, and some dancing, and journal writing. Life is good, and I’m so thankful.
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