Camp Pep: Go for the Grit

Camp NaNoWriMo is nothing without you, our incredible participants. Today, Linda Xia, a fellow Camper and member of the Young Writers Program, offers you some pep:

Dear Gritty Writer,

There are a thousand things I could tell you. I could tell you that as we wrap up Week Two of Camp NaNoWriMo, I’m falling behind too. I could tell you that I’ve seen people who fell behind succeed despite the obstacles they had to face. But whatever relief or satisfaction you glean from those words wouldn’t last. I won’t give you permission to give up. I refuse to let you accept failure or self-recrimination as your due just because it’s easier.

Obstacles are a part of life. Maybe you’re like me and you’re wrestling with that little demon named Fear who lives in your head and tells you you’re crazy for thinking you could do this. That voice? It’s a part of you. Don’t let yourself be the reason you give up. If you write only one word this month and you write that word because you love writing, then you have succeeded.

Maybe the words just aren’t coming. Open a new document. Give yourself permission to be ridiculous. If you’re writing about a psychotic writer, make her a psychotic writer with a one-eyed dog who enjoys long walks in the rain with a stray cat who has a penchant for gourmet salami. When you write, you are in control. It doesn’t matter what other people might think. You are doing this for you because you want to do this. Write down the reasons why, stick them on your refrigerator, tape them to the bathroom mirror and read them whenever you even think of throwing in the towel (and then name that towel “Samantha”).

Maybe you have less time than you anticipated. The greatest writers in the world–George Orwell, T.S. Elliot–had 24-hour days. You get 24 hours a day, too, and it’s up to you what you do in those hours. There is no such thing as not having enough time to write. All that means is that your writing doesn’t rank high enough on your list of priorities to merit your time.

“You have grit, and it doesn’t matter what other people think or what Fear thinks because you love what you do and the only thing standing in your way is yourself.”

The fact that you are reading this letter tells me you’re not the kind of person who needs to be coddled or coaxed into following your dreams. And I know that because you are here, in front of your laptop (or whatever-newfangled-device you’re using), because there is a part of you that yearns to succeed.

Grit, according to Angela Duckworth, is a combination of passion and perseverance. I’m not here to teach you what passion is or what perseverance entails. I’m here to tell you that grit is doing-what-you-love-no-matter-the-cost. That grit is the willpower to keep-on-going. That you have grit, and it doesn’t matter what other people think or what Fear thinks because you love what you do and the only thing standing in your way is yourself. You are capable of writing a novel. You are bold and creative and wonderful. You are a writer and I believe with all my heart that you will succeed.

In the end, Camp NaNoWriMo isn’t about the number of words you write or even the finished draft. It’s about the act of writing, about giving yourself permission to spend time doing something you love. And if you take only one thing from this pep talk, remember this: you don’t need to be afraid–you’re as gritty as they come.

On my way to buy gourmet salami,  

Linda Xia (psychotic writer extraordinaire)

Linda Xia is fluent in sarcasm and the proud owner of over 200 books, all of which have been rescued from various book sales. Her work has been published in various anthologies and she loves (read: is obsessed with) writing, a condition that often interferes with her obligations as a high school student. She resides in Canada with her cactus, Christi. And her family. But she spends more time talking with her cactus. You can read more of her chaotic thoughts at https://lyndeks.wordpress.com.