Inner Editor Tries to Escape - Again

I had a fight with my inner editor again. I just can't seem to keep her locked up. Maybe I just need better ear muffs.

Thursday (NaNo day 21) she was at it again. "You have only two chapters left in your head and you still have 12,000 words to go to reach your goal. No way you're going to have enough to say!"

God, I really dislike her.

Finally I had to get out the billy club and beat her back into the trunk. This time I put four padlocks on it. Since then I've been on a tear. I've written 9,000 words. And- I still have most of a chapter to write.

I'll admit, I'm feeling a wee bit proud of myself. I've thought of opening the trunk and showing her, but she's wily. She'll jump out of my grasp and start taunting me again. Nope, best to keep her in there. If all goes well, I'm getting to 45k tonight. (Day 23)

I think I can actually dream about begin done before my sons get here for Turkey Day. What's that?
Damn, she's banging on the trunk lid. Maybe I should keep that goal from her for now. It seems to energize her.

Good luck all!

The Wall and Beyond

Sunday I was struggling. Barely into week two and I had hit a wall of doubt. But, like the Kool-Aid dude I crashed through it.

How? Well, first I whined all over the digital-verse, because venting is therapeutic; next I re-read parts of my story - for some reason that tends to get my groove back on - my characters pump me up; and then I did what you have to do: I sat in front of my computer and forced my fingers to type words. The more I typed, the easier it got.

Are they any good? Is my story better for them? No doubt at least a few of them are keepers, but I can't let myself obsess about that right now. I have a goal to meet. I can't let those tendrils of self-doubt (this is fluff, you know you're just typing these words to meet your word count, this part of the story is unnecessary)...yeah, those - well I just don't have time to let them hold me back.

And I'm glad I didn't. Yesterday was an awesome day. I hit a part of my story where I was weaving in a visit to my MC by someone I met in the RW (real world), well a fictionalized version of her. She is a dynamic person, and she was getting the kids psyched about math. A double bonus. (well, if you like math puzzles that don't involve calculus) The point is, it was a fun part of the story to work with, and the words just came to me. They probably aren't all brilliant either, but I enjoyed the process - and that's the whole point of being a writer - isn't it?

I mean if you're writing just for the big bucks - I'd say you're living a pipe dream. But if you're writing because you enjoy the process - you know, overall - because you love bringing characters and their worlds to life; well then days like this are like Hannukah/Christmas.

I'm feeling that the wheels of writing are a little stickier today, but have overcome that first wall; I have the confidence that I can crush the road blocks in my future. I know they are out there, waiting to pop up. But I also know I have the equipment to knock them down. If I have any doubts, I'll just come back and re-read this post!

Best of luck to those of you who are writing. May the wrecking ball of perseverance hover in the ready over your shoulder.