Slogfest

Slogfest (or: 13,470 Words Written, Each One a Challenge)

Sometimes inspiration just isn’t there. Anyone who pursues a creative project knows that some days (heck, MOST days) the inspiration to create is completely missing from the equation. And even when we’re inspired, we’re not necessarily motivated. That’s where I am so far this year.

I have an interesting idea for my story this year. Good, overarching concepts, interesting twists and turns for my characters, some fantastic new settings, some “big idea” high-falutin’ philosophical themes to tackle, and more. But forcing myself to write every day is just that: forcing myself to write my required daily words.

I have some valid excuses, perhaps more than any other NaNoWriMo in the past. For those that don’t know, this year I am:

• getting divorced
• still cohabitating (peacefully, but still) with my soon-to-be-ex.
• trying to sell our house
• prepping a brand new course for spring
• writing a sequel to my favorite, most marketable manuscript

So, no pressure. No stress. Right?

😉

Look, I’m not complaining. Really, I’m not. The words are coming. Often at 11:30pm each night, just under the wire. But they are coming. And they’re not bad. They’re not brilliant, but the bones of the story are forming up nicely. I’ve made some interesting discoveries, introduced some twists even I didn’t see coming. I’m having fun.

But it’s a forced fun. Which is…odd. Like having ice cream shoved into your mouth: you like it, even though you didn’t put it there.

Okay, that wasn’t a good analogy. You see what I mean by not being inspired/motivated? Yeah, there we go.

I’m hoping for a better post for next week. Maybe the light bulb will go off! Maybe the rocket will be lit, and off I’ll go! But even if not, I promise I’ll have between 37,000 words written when next I post.

That’s NaNoWriMo. Good, bad…whatever.