So a few weeks ago I posted about some things I wanted to do on this site to prepare myself (and future passerby readers) for NaNoWriMo. Then life got busy, as it tends to do, and I felt guilty, which is my typical response, which made me anxious about doing anything.
Some of you will relate to that train of thought, and some of you won't. I'm okay with either. But this is a reminder for me that plans change, and that resisting it causes me undue stress. I'm going to be flexible with it. Now I'm thinking...maybe I won't announce what I'm going to do. Maybe I'll just do it, and surprise everyone when I post! In much the same vein, it's come to my attention that NaNoWriMo isn't working for me this year. It's a very encouraging, buck-wild, words-to-the-wind sort of writing celebration and I've enjoyed it for years in succession, but I should be willing to let it go if it doesn't work for me. "Kill your darlings" should apply to challenges and tactics as well as scenes. And so far in writing my second draft, I've realized that speeding through isn't what gets my best work, or my best mood. My morale has dropped in trying to race. I don't like the material I'm facing at the end of the day. It's not the best I can do because half the time I'm pleased with my first draft (which in part was written years ago) and copying sentences of that straight over, when I've actually gotten better since then. It's like how hanging out with childhood friends can make you revert to the language and attitudes you used to use together. I like it so much I've forgotten the skills I've gained to improve it. Previously I figured I could read my first draft alongside my new one and make changes as I went. I'm doing that, and cutting out sentences or whole scenes that I deem unnecessary, but when it comes to structuring the sentences, it's terribly simplistic. (Much like this post, but hey, I'm baring my soul here.) A longsuffering writing buddy pointed out how much better my new snippets have been compared to my old ones, and honestly, I WANT to keep improving. I don't want to get stuck in the mire. And most of all, I want to see it for myself. How much better can I write when my old work isn't holding me back? So I don't want to rewrite Three to a Seat; I want to rebuild it. Better, stronger, and slower.
2 Comments
Ems
10/22/2015 04:55:38 pm
That is a really great point about adapting to the things that work for you. Sometimes you have to cut out things you otherwise enjoy in order to write the best you can write. And it's really difficult to let these things go or change your routine sometimes.
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Stewart
10/31/2015 08:20:08 am
Carrie,
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AuthorCarrie is a burgeoning writer in North America. She thinks about stories 23/7 because everyone needs some time off. She enjoys apples, giving and receiving feedback, and couch-fort gaming with loved ones. Archives
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