How You Know It’s the Right Challenge

Bits, Musings, Productivity, writing posts

How You Know It’s the Right Challenge

So yesterday I blogged about the version of NaNoWriMo I’ll be doing, which I’ve dubbed NaNoFiMo, or National Novel Finishing Month. I plan to take cobwebby, partially-written manuscripts and finish them, while hitting at least 50,000 words in the process. Is it technically a NaNo? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s exactly the challenge I need right…

I.L. Wolf

October 22, 2014

1–2 minutes

amwriting, nanofimo, NaNoWriMo, writing posts

Is it technically a NaNo? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s exactly the challenge I need right now. In fact, I am feeling excited at the prospect (feel free to throw these words back at me around November 17).

Sometimes, in life, you need a challenge to spark something. There’s a rush of adrenaline that happens, even though the only thing that might be in danger with this kind of test is your word count. And, sometimes in life, the challenge you need is not necessarily the challenge everyone else needs. Or anyone else needs.

There’s a good chance this decision might leave me dizzy, or disoriented, as I leap from world to world, universe to universe, possibly genre to genre, depending on the partial first drafts that make the cut. But I know it’s the right challenge for me in this moment because I am absolutely ready to take it on.

Excited to take it on.

Writing is a tough sport (if poker is a sport, writing is a sport. There’s infinitely more bluffing). While there are physical restraints like the amount of time you can simply sit, or how quickly you can type, or how you feel after typing for hours, the biggest restraint is mental. Throwing the gauntlet in the face of no one but yourself offers a chance to really see what you can do.

Anyone else looking forward to NaNo? Cowering in fear? Ten days out, how are you feeling?

Check out Her Cousin Much Removed, The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management and Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only).

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6 responses to “How You Know It’s the Right Challenge”

Jon

October 22, 2014 at 10:15 am

I think cowering in fear has it about covered, yes.

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1. I.L. Wolf
  
  October 22, 2014 at 10:21 am
  
  It gets better! (It really doesn’t get better, I’m trying to be reassuring).
  
  Seriously, it’s a fun ride. It’s tough, but it’s worth it in the end. And I mean all of those cliches sincerely.
  
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christineplouvier

October 22, 2014 at 11:06 am

No fear, here. I was a “rebel” last time, and it looks like I’ll be one again, this year. If we can keep track of the new words we use to plug the holes, why not? If we’re not having fun, we’re not doing it right! 😉

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1. I.L. Wolf
  
  October 22, 2014 at 11:20 am
  
  I couldn’t agree more 🙂 I’ve never been much of a rebel before, so I think it even increases the fun.
  
  How are you rebelling, if you feel like sharing?
  
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  1. christineplouvier
    
    October 22, 2014 at 11:48 am
    
    I’m working on the novel I started in the 2012 NNWM. The “rules” are a lot more flexible than some writers think they are, so the only thing I do that makes me a rebel is not to start something new. I write epic-length books, so it’s doubtful that I’ll get done, but at least I’ll have another 50K in plot-hole-plug material to work with, in the coming year.
    
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  2. I.L. Wolf
    
    October 22, 2014 at 12:15 pm
    
    Yes, I had to have that pointed out to me this year when I said I would be cheating 🙂 They are pretty flexible.
    
    If you did manage an epic in 30 days, that would be quite a feat, because just typing that number of words…I think it makes sense to split it up. Good luck. Why not do something that works for us? 😉
    
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