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Saturday, November 23, 2013

The Week That Ate Me

So, I was chugging along with my NaNo, slowly of course, but at a steady pace, and faithfully writing down my one picture book idea a day when THIS WEEK HIT.

And everything went kerplunk.  Or kaput.  Or something like that.  At this point, I don't even know.

What was it about this week that killed me?  I am not sure, but somewhere about last Tuesday, the fatigue I had been fighting off since September came crashing down.  I was falling asleep in my supper (which was unusually late each night, even for us) and something had to give.

So I gave myself a few days off from writing, thinking I would hit it hard again when the weekend came.  But when my fog lifted this morning and I got a good look at my house, well, there was stuff I had to do or else.  It rained so there was dog-tracked mud, and the dog hair, dear lord, THE DOG HAIR!!

But now that things are better, I am not sure what to do.  I think I will let my NaNo simmer for a few days more before I go back to it.  There is something not quite right--the narration seems tentative.  This will not do.  However, I am rarely a quick problem solver.  I need time to hear the voice again and capture it in the right way. I think what it getting me is that I love the idea so much I am afraid I will mess it up with the writing of it, and as I go back and read it, I get a sense of that fear.

This story needs to be fearless.

Blarg.

That's the lovely thing about writing, it always keeps you guessing.  Once you think you know what you are doing, guess what?  You don't.

hrh




4 comments:

Kelly Polark said...

It sounds like you needed a break!
Good luck! Don't beat yourself up too hard if you can't get back to the writing this week. You are a busy person! :)
Enjoy Thanksgiving. Enjoy it!

Nancy Villalobos said...

If the story is there and just needs time to coagulate or coalesce or come together in some other way in the deep recesses of your fertile mind, then I say: Let it! There's no magic in November, after all. Carry on, I say, carry on.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like your body was telling you it needed the rest. If you don't reach the 50,000 NaNo word count, you are still a winner in my book because you attempted it.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Sherrie Petersen said...

I learn something new with every book I write. The one I'm working on now has taught me that I can write faster than I thought, as long as I just, y' know, write!