So, it's November. A month known for bringing the fresh, cool winter chill, colorful leaves so vivid they'll take your breath away, unforgettable sunsets, and... NaNoWriMo.
Yes, National Novel Writing Month begins. I've mentioned this before, but it always astonishes me how divided writers are when it comes to the value of this event. Some think it promotes shotty writing and messy plots, that it encourages hacks to fancy themselves writers, that it is yet another tool in the overflowing toolbox of poor writing practice. Others, though, (and I count myself among this lot) find that it encourages writers to get past their own self-defeating writer's block, to develop regular writing habits, to complete a very rough first draft, to - in fact - become better writers by the act of actually - gasp - writing.
And so, with those goals in mind, I gleefully participate each year. Because besides the reasons I listed above, the event is ridiculously fun. Stressful and challenging, yes, but also fun. The deadline, the forced creativity, the knowledge that so many other writers out there are also world building and word crafting - it's great to be part of something like that. And in general, most writers I know don't really think the pieces we create during NaNoWriMo are finished works, but works in progress, nearer to completion than before the month begun.
For me, some pieces I've created during this event will never see the light of day, and others have undergone so much editing they are barely recognizable. But that doesn't mean NaNoWriMo was a waste of time - it means it was an opportunity for a beautiful start, as well as a great way to experiment with my craft. And beyond that, I love writing, so any event that forces me to do something I love for an extended period of time is A-Okay in my books.
This year, I'm starting the event with a completely mapped-out story. I've planned my characters, my plot, my conclusion. When it comes to my normal writing, I do like to plan all details, but I'm usually a semi-planner when it comes to NaNoWriMo; I go in with a general idea of what will happen, but the how is always a bit murky. This time, I've gone into full-out planner mode for this event. We'll see if that helps. I'm also writing in different genre. Normally I'm a spec-fic girl, but I'm making the leap to contemporary sweet-romance. We shall see how it goes. Hopefully nobody turns out to be an alien, but sometimes, despite the planning, my characters surprise me.
Anyway, wish me luck! If you're participating (and writers, I recommend it) - luck to you too.
May the force be with you. (Annnnd that was my last spec-fic reference of the month.)
I once heard someone say that if you can find the right punishment or reward, you can make a person do anything. The speaker was one of my Faculty of Education professors, and he was making reference to classroom management and encouraging student success.
He was talking, of course, about motivation. Not everyone is motivated by the threat of detention or low marks, he said, just as not everyone is motivated by stickers and good grades. But, he was sure, everyone was motivated by something, and the key to success was finding the right motivation for each student. I think he was definitely onto something, although I must admit, I still have not been able to find that one motivating factor for each individual student. I work on it daily.
The same idea can apply to most areas of life. It's January 2nd now, and of course, Facebook is full of New Year resolutions, bravely announced to the masses. And to be honest, I've made some of my own, too - not that I'll be posting them publicly. I've tried to be specific this time around, wording them as "goals" rather than vague promises. I'm not so sure I'll have any more success than in the past, but time will tell. I wonder, though, if I have the motivation I need to achieve my goals, and if it will be enough.
Some of my goals, of course, are health related, habit related, hobby related. Some relate to my physical self, some my mental self, some my spiritual self. And I'll admit right here, some have to do with my writing. I want my writing to continue to move forward. I don't want to lose my momentum or my motivation.
I used to have this great passion for writing, back when I was much younger. The first time I thought I wanted to be a writer was in third grade. I wrote all the time back then. In high school, I wrote my first novella, a drama about a good girl who "saves" a bad boy. I still grin when I think about it: my teenage angst, crushes, worries, and creative spark working to create a rough, heartfelt tale written by a fourteen year old. I also started a novel with my sister, which we didn't, of course, finish.
Soon, life and time happened. I got married young, and married life proved, at various periods throughout the last fifteen years, to be moments of great freedom and no curfews, times of serious challenge, and a series of grand adventures with my best friend. My years at university and my hilarious job as a video store clerk didn't allow a lot of time for creative writing, although I dabbled in poetry and short stories and dreamed of writing my great novel.
When I became a teacher, and then a mother, time for writing grew more scarce and, moreover, my creativity was better served dreaming up new units for my high school English students and creative play with my kids. I was completely fulfilled with my amazing jobs as a mother and as a high school teacher. On maternity leave, I did some professional business writing, with three longer, non-fiction articles published in magazines and far too many uncredited on-line articles. I still dreamed of writing a novel - in fact, a friend of mine and I came up with a plot outline and first chapter of a book I may still write one day - but that was as far as it went.
And then, my sister began to flourish in her own writing career. She began writing in earnest and independently publishing her work. She began selling her books and calling herself a writer - because that is what she had become. I looked at her with wonder: she was doing it. She was fulfilling her calling and courageously following what she felt God was leading her to do. I can honestly say I wasn't - and still am not - jealous. Not at all. In awe, is more like it. In awe, and inspired.
And so, with her encouragement and example, I tentatively allowed my previous passion to creep back in and I wrote about a character who had been living in my head since I was twenty. When it was finished, I had my first short novel - maybe you'd call it a novella - entitled "Dragonfly." It's 54000 words of urban fantasy. My character has life.
The second piece I wrote, I wrote with my sister. She reminded me of the story that we'd started back in high school, the piece that was unfinished and, to be honest, written like we were back in high school. We started again from scratch, using only the title and the general idea. We worked through it one summer, and at the end, we had this beautiful short novel that I really love. Not only did I get to experience the creative process with my wonderful sister, but again, we gave life to characters we only imagined. In case you're curious, it's called "Amber Rain", and we'll be independently publishing it. So, stay tuned.
Since then, I've written two more pieces, one completely finished and edited and the other in its draft stage. And let me tell you, writing is pleasure: dreaming up stories and crafting worlds and using our beautiful language. It makes life even busier, though, since I'm still teaching (and loving it) and have two beautiful, active, amazing children who absolutely come first in my life. And, of course, I am still blessed with a husband who makes married life a happy adventure.
I mostly write by night, now, and sometimes during that 1:00 nap time that still happens on Saturdays. Which brings me back to motivation. I think back to when I first wanted to write, and how that desire eventually slipped through my fingers. Now that I've rediscovered the joy of creating fiction, I don't want to lose it again, and I wonder - how does a writer stay motivated? When there are so many things that are important to me - relationships, recreation, and of course, my job - how do I make sure I continue to find time for writing?
This new year, I want to continue building on what I've started. Time will tell.
