NaNoWriMo Pep Talk

Week two, the beginning of heartbreak hill. Up until now you’ve been energetic, pumping out thousands of words per day, caught up in your exposition and wonderful introductions. Your cliffhanger introduction of the problem is through and now it’s time to start solving the issues and developing the characters presented in your novel. Oh hell, this is when it slows down.

Yes, heartbreak hill happens to every writer. Somewhere in the middle things just start to slow down. You aren’t close enough to have the excitement of finishing pull you along, and it is past the point where explaining and introducing is helpful any more.

The best advice I can give you in this period of distress, especially for new writers, keep writing on schedule. It doesn’t matter if what you write is crap. Hell if you have an outline and it will help you get back in the mood, switch to an exciting scene somewhere down the road and then come back to this middle section of the story.  

Right now isn’t about your month’s word count, it’s about your day’s word count.

If you are getting bored with the story or character, introduce something new like an injury or discovery. You may very well be surprised as to where this could take your story.

I’ll admit it, I am slowing down myself. Yesterday I only wrote 300 words. Only 300. Thankfully I had accomplished enough last week that I am still not behind on my daily count, but now I have to work extra hard today to give myself more insurance should this happen again in the future, which it undoubtedly will. It’s all a part of the game my friends.

I want to hear your story. I want to hear all about it and I want to read it when you publish it. So please, I ask you dearly, finish your novel.