National Writing Month AKA Trying to write 2,335 words a day.
Yes, this post is late, but I have been very tired and needed a couple of days to not do writing. It’s also going to be a little shorter this month, because I am sleepy.
Many people in the writing community use National Writing Month as an opportunity to write an entire novel in the month of November. It is something I’ve wanted to participate in since I heard of it’s conception, because challenges are a good way to motivate yourself to write and there’s a certain badge of honour to have participated in it. So this year, I did.
I modified the rules, though, because I want to finish the first draft of my pirate novel, and I wanted to keep my writing days limited to weekdays. So, I decided to write 2,335 words Monday to Friday with a total goal of writing 50,000 total words (or finishing the draft).
And for the past week, it has been difficult. I don’t think many people consider writing and creative work difficult and exhausting, but it is.
Writing is hard, even when you have a game-plan. Day-to-day energy levels can really impact how much I write. I forget this until I am staring at my computer agonizingly writing a little over 400 words when just last week, I did four consecutive days of hitting and surpassing my goal. So I took a few days off, reminding myself each day that it’s okay to take breaks, and worked on a different story that didn’t involve putting words in a blank doc. I’m hoping that today, I’ll be able to do it.
And on that note, while I haven’t reached the overarching goal of adding 50,000 words, I’m almost two-thirds of the way through the draft. And that feels good. I’m relishing in the fact that this will be the longest project I have completed, and how much I can write when I’m feeling good.
So to summarize, the title is misleading and I haven’t been writing 2,335 words per day, but I’ve been trying to do so to the best of my ability. And I feel good about what I’ve accomplished thus far. Goals are great, they move you forward, and I have not always been the best at setting goals for myself. Finishing this story is a goal I have, though, and I still want it done by mid-December.
If you are participating in a writing challenge, I wish you the best. I see you screaming into the void of never-ending blank word-docs, and I am there with you.
Sleepy and persevering,
Micaëla