Tag Archives: NanoWriMo
My Writing Journey
I apologize for not blogging in awhile. One day runs into the next and before you know it, a month has passed.
I need to get better about blogging at least once a week. I have been writing a lot, just not blogging.
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned I’m working on a novel.
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It all began last October when I decided to participate in NanoWriMo without ever writing a piece of fiction in my life. I know it sounds crazy. It was hard, but I felt the most alive.
I am glad I pushed through the fear and took the dive, because I’ve discovered I enjoy writing fiction.
Thus, my focus has been more on my novel and less on blogging.
I began this blog a couple of years ago with the focus on book reviews. I still enjoy writing book reviews, however, recently my reading has been exclusive to research.
I’m learning a great deal about the discipline and art of fiction writing. It’s been an interesting journey to say the least.
I just wanted to take the time to update you, since I didn’t want any of you to think I fell off the map.
There has been so much on my heart I’ve wanted to share. But each time I tried, I would choke up and not write anything at all.
For me, good writing is like eating a gourmet meal and not fast food. I want to be able to write something of substance and quality; and not regurgitate the same ole, same ole.
I want to thank all of you for hanging in there with me as I find my way on this writing journey.
Do you struggle to write when your heart and mind are full? What do you do to push past it?
I Won NanoWriMo!
I haven’t posted in awhile and that’s because I was participating in the National Novel Writing Month, NanoWriMo.
Yesterday morning, I surpassed the 50,000 word mark and won for the very first time.
Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to win when I first committed to doing it. There were a ton of doubts bouncing in my mind.
What if I couldn’t stick to getting up early? What if I got migraines from lack of sleep? What if I couldn’t write 50,000 words by the end of November? What if I couldn’t write fiction?
That was the big one, because truthfully, I never wrote an ounce of fiction in my life. This was my first time attempting to write a novel. I didn’t know what I was doing and quite frankly, still don’t.
However, what I learned by participating in NanoWriMo, is that when I pushed through my fear and took the plunge, I found out I was capable of a lot more than I thought.
I discovered I was wired to create stories and write fiction my entire life and didn’t even know it.
Although, my husband claims to have known, and is my biggest cheerleader.
What a surprise it was for me though. And to think I would have missed out on it if I didn’t try.
This was a learning experience for me on many levels. I had to push through the doubts and determine to do it despite my fear of not knowing how to.
I would have continued to believe that “just showing up” was a cliché by the experts, if I had not experienced it for myself.
Sometimes you don’t need a roadmap, you just have to do it and figure it out as you go.
Yes, it’s scary. Yes, it seems bigger than life when you first attempt it. But if you keep at it, you learn you are capable of much more than you thought.
It’s by allowing yourself to try, that courage meets you on the road of creating.
Writing my first novel was hard, but it was also rewarding. I’m glad I committed to it, stuck with it and won.
I haven’t finished the novel yet, but I developed the habit of getting up early by doing NanoWriMo and I will continue to write every morning until it’s completed.
Overall, it’s been a great experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has ever considered writing a novel.
Did you participate in this month’s NanoWriMo for the first time? I would love to hear about your experience.
Posted in blogging, novels, writing
Also tagged NanoWriMo Winner, National Novel Writing Month
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