I’ve been off my game for a month. Three weekends of company, including the bedroom painting project, plus a business trip that involved a sprained knee and a midnight flight and I need to re-read my story before forging ahead.
I’ve taken on a couple of personal projects, so I may not get new words down until December. This differs from all the writers out there suffering through NaNoWriMo.
I’ve seen some of you diligently reporting your word count. Others are posting why they’re quitting. I know one writer who is finished already.
Writing is my escape from everyday life. My job is stressful enough without adding pressure to my leisure time. I respect the Nano Army, I really do. It’s just not for me.
I have some plot issues I’m struggling with, but there’s a whole sequence to write before then. I may get to it this weekend, I may not. Have faith, I’ll finish it, I always do.
In the meantime, can I interest you in a Greco Roman fantasy with satyrs, centaurs, dwarves, and lots of blood?
Not your thing? I knocked a buck off all my old titles. Maybe you prefer a demon terrorizing people in Panama, or a twisted arsonist who helps catch a killer. There’s even an artificial intelligence robot girl. Now with new lower prices.
I feel the same way about Nanowrimo. I can’t bear to put that kind of pressure on my relaxing creative outlet.
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It really works for some people, just not me. There’s a guy in my critique group who participates every year.
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I hate more than anything when you’re really BURNING to write and life gets in the way! 😦 I’ve got just one more month of a job I hate that’s keeping me from my writing, and then I’m back to having fun again. 😀 I can’t wait to see where The Playground goes! 😀
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I hate that too Rachel! Happens to me a lot!
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Me, too. 😦
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It would be cool to retire and do what I want. I’ll probably have to work for the rest of my life.
I’m struggling with a plot point in The Playground. I have to write one section before I need this solved. I need to figure out how to deal with the maguffin.
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I think you need to get to work on the movie rights of WOW. Then you could retire. And yes, I’m serious, it would make a great movie.
Sometimes, if you move forward then come back, the plot point will better write itself. Isn’t that how Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone With the Wind? I think she wrote the first chapter last.
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I’m too linear when I write. I’ve put work aside for weeks sometimes before solving my problem. Then I write again.
The movie rights will have to wait until a few people like the novel.
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I like the novel. A lot. Doesn’t that count? 😉
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Absolutely.
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NaNo always seems like such a stressful time! I’m amazed at those that even to make it half way through 😀
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I respect the participants. It isn’t for me, but some people really benefit from it.
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I do quite like a Greco-Roman fantasy now and again, when I can get my hands on one. I’m reading a fab one right now, as it happens…
With regard to writing, if it makes you feel any better, I doubt I’m going to get much done this side of Christmas. And do you know what? I’ve decided to let the stress of that thought go. As someone has already commented, there is enough stress in life without adding more. Its not my day job, although I wish it was. Its what I enjoy doing to keep my sanity, so I’m not going to spoil it with punishing targets and goals. I know I’ll get it finished, so till then I’m just gonna go with the flow.
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That’s what I have to do. I can’t stress out over my leisure time. It kind of defeats the purpose.
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This Greco-Roman story is Awesome! I was reading a 100 or more pages a day!
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I did NaNoWriMo for the first time last year and nailed it. Thought I’d do a repeat of it this year and then ended up with a bad case of food poisoning on launch day. Needless to say, the month hasn’t gone has planned. Add to that I was in the middle of content edits on my latest book and I finally tossed in the towel. Like you said, life is stressful enough without adding additional pressure, especially when you’re juggling a full time job on top of writing. And hey, with all those titles, it seems to me you’ve already accomplished a lot!
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I cheated. They were all written before I started on this adventure. My next one was written after I started blogging and self publishing.
I can sling some words when conditions are right. The stars just haven’t aligned for a bit. They will, I’m sure.
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My NaNo adventure hasn’t escalated to stressful surprisingly enough. I’m way behind with my word count but I’m further in Charlie’s story than I ever got before so I’m happy with where I am. In addition, JD has been brainstorming with me and some of his ideas have been instrumental in getting Charlie where she is. If I don’t make 50K I won’t be broken up; I know I’ll finish Charlie’s story; just maybe not by November 30. No big. 😀
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Tally Ho! Go get ’em.
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I’ve given up on Nano, life always pulls me from it, then I feel like a failure at the end of the month. Life’s gotten in the way this year too, but it started in October this year. I’ve been AWOL for the past 3 weeks but I’m back now.
I loved the Greco-Roman story!
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Thanks, Mari. Did you finish it? I may have to send you an email so we don’t spoil things for others.
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Yes, I finished it. I enjoyed it a lot.
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Been there. One NaNoWriMo was enough–at least that’s how I feel this year.
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I’m not a fiction writer so just the thought of joining in on the NaNo… gives me shivers! The picture of Alfred P Newman (or was it E?) brought back some good memories of the 60’s, my brothers would buy them and then when they were through with them we younger ones were allowed to read them, I loved that kind of satire and humor, still do I guess. I really liked the Spy vs Spy cartoons too 🙂
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There is a Don Martin hard bound book coming out soon. While I would love it, it might become a gift for my brother.
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