Back In The Swing Of Things

I have to admit, I’m really enjoying the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that goes along with completing a writing project. I haven’t felt that in ages, not since I was writing for KCCI’s Local Voices. Now that I’ve put up a few new posts on my personal blog, I want more.

There's nothing like a fresh cup of coffee and a fresh page

I want to work on my 2009 NaNoWriMo novel, and get it finished (this is especially important now that I have joined a critique group, and have handed out my first chapter to several near strangers asking them for their input.) I just hope I can keep the momentum going. I’d really like to write “The End” on my first novel.


That will have to wait until tomorrow though, because it is nearly 2 am, and I am falling asleep at my keyboard.

Abandoned

I started this blog about two months ago in October, and then promptly abandoned it without as much as an introductory post. In my defense, it was because I started a writing contest on the first of November where the goal was to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. This was a huge challenge for me for a few reasons, the largest of which being the fact that the longest story I had written at that point was a 500 word picture-book manuscript. I could have written 100 separate children’s stories to get to the 50,000 word mark, but I wanted to stretch myself, to really challenge myself and go for the adult fiction/chick lit/mystery/romance carrot that I had been dangling in front of myself for a while, and step outside of my comfort zone.

I tried, and I won. I wrote 50,000 words in less than 30 days. I finished with a day or two to spare, but I didn’t finish my book. This brings me to my most recent problem. It has been a month since the contest ended, but I still haven’t finished my book. I’ve proved to myself that I could write 50,000 words in 30 days, but the minute that axe was no longer hanging over my head; I became unable to write a single word. I know I need to finish this manuscript, but I can’t seem to find the motivation necessary to do it. R asks me how it’s coming, and so does my Mum, but that’s just not the same thing. For some reason, the shame of failing in front of total strangers is worse that failing in front of my family and friends.

I guess that’s why I’m doing this post. All those people who were strangers back in October and early November have become friends, and some are like extended family, so the fear of letting them down no longer exists for me. So I am now turning to you faceless unknown readers out there (if you are in fact out there). I’m setting a new goal or challenge for myself. I’m demanding that I finish my manuscript by the end if January. That means I have 20 days to find the end of my manuscript. I would like to say that I will post daily to let you know how I’m doing, but I know full well that I will fail on that promise, so I will instead say that I will try to post at least once at the 10 day mark, and if I’m able to get myself to post an update more often, well read it, be happy that I’ve found the umph to do it, then yell at me to get back to work on my book, because that is really what I need. The threat of scorn from the vast sea of unknown strangers out there in cyber space, because the threat of scorn and disdain from my family lost its sting about two decades ago.

So, until we meet again, keep your pencils sharp and your mind sharper.