Dear NaNo Diary... (Week Two)
NaNo can be thrilling, challenging, frustrating, and revitalizing––sometimes all at once. This November, we’ve asked NaNo participants to share their daily thoughts in a new series, Dear NaNo Diary. Here are some entries from the second week of NaNoWriMo:
Dear NaNo Diary,
Just when I think I might dislike it I fall in love with my story and NaNoWriMo all over again. There is something magical about writing and plotting all at once…through sickness and pain the community continues to hold me up. This community is wonderful. No one has ever told me in the two years I have done NaNo that I’m too young for it, even as the rest of the world says that only the old and wise have stories to tell. Weary or not, this November with its writing has been much more special than usual. And that, even with all the difficulty that comes with it, is a gift…a gift that I’m happily enjoying.
Signed,
Dear NaNo Diary,
I have come to the conclusion that this month, you are the reason for my insanity. But a little insanity is all and well. I get up at five in the morning and begin to write, then get ready for work, get to work and hour and a half early and continue to write, work, then on my lunch break write, work again until the end of the day, then while taking the bus write, eat dinner right, then be a hobbit and write in the sanctuary of my room. My parents think I have lost my mind, and have gone crazy. Maybe I have. But I do blame you for my insanity. Thank you.
Signed,
Dear NaNo Diary,
I admit it. The month was not a strong start. Well, it actually wasn’t any start….I despaired that, well, if I hadn’t even started I was probably doomed anyways. How pathetic, to have signed up and been so confident only to walk away with nothing….but then I thought to myself, wait. I can still write enough to get there. 1,700 words isn’t unfathomable per day, in fact when you really go for it and look at your word count after being sucked into writing for a few hours it’s not unreasonable to write 2000 at once. Or 3000. Or more! If I just push myself to write like a crazy lady every day I can still get back on track…yesterday I hit the goal to stay on track. Relief! Today? I’m already pushing past it. So to everyone else out there who may have gotten off to a rough start like me, there’s hope! Just don’t stop, and together we can all finish. The most important part is to not give up on your story, it wants to be told and who else can tell it but you? Good luck everyone and let’s keep writing together!
Signed,
November 8:
Dear NaNo Diary,
I am proud of managing so many words in one day when my brain is all in a fog of depression and anxiety. I am proud that my thoughts aren’t of giving up, but of “how am I going to accomplish this?” I am scared that I’m not going to hit 50k this month. I am scared that I’ll never hit 50k no matter how many NaNos I try to write. But I’m going to try. I am going to mind my mind. And I am going to write, little by little, until I have told my story in its entirety. Even though I know it’s not a very accessible story. Even though it’ll never be published (probably), and will never be adapted into a movie franchise. I have let go of the idea of having an audience. I am my audience. I’m doing this because I want to make myself proud. Not because I need other people to be proud of me. My pride in myself is valid and real and that’s what’s going to see me through.
Anxiously yours,
November 9:Dear NaNo Diary,
Being almost 80 years old, my day is going to the gym to walk a mile on the treadmill and write. Writing as a rebel; a personal account of my life and what I know about my sons life, who died last year on December 18. This is in his honor.
Signed,
Dear NaNo Diary,
This is my 4th attempt to “win” NaNoWriMo. I put quotes on “win” because I haven’t made it even close to 50k, yet. Today, I’m starting to watch my daily word count slipping under the diagonal line on the Stats page, again….I’m using NaNoWritMo as social therapy this year. It’s really very nice to not be alone in my cave. The good news, and why I’m writing this Dear NaNo Diary entry is, it’s working! The NaNo challenge is like having a dead car battery (that is my brain being low, angry and depressed) and I got a jump start, from the collective consciousness that is all of you. One aspect I love about social media, in general, is knowing you are not alone in your struggles. So, if for any reason, you also feel angry or depressed this year, I say hello to you…Go, write it all out, kick ass, Word Vomit, as someone else in this thread shared. Yep, and thanks for being out there, doing this with “me” too.
Signed,
November 10:Dear NaNo Diary,
Been having pretty good writing days so far, binge writing on my days off, but this morning just finds me staring at the screen and sneaking off into the forums to procrastinate. Why do I suddenly hate my characters? I liked them just fine yesterday. Maybe I’m just hungry. I think I’ll make myself something to eat and try again afterwards……
Signed,
November 11:Dear Nano Diary,
Its week two, and, Diary, I fell so far behind this week I almost gave up. The real world and all of its demands were so challenging, I did not write a word for 4 days. Today, I did not give up. My butt in the chair, Walter moved forward in his journey across the Pacific. He might not be quite where I had hoped by now, but that’s just fine, ever forward, Walter, just keep on going, tomorrow the ship will sail again.Today, I believe it is possible again. Yesterday I was not so sure. Thanks all you Wrimos. You make a believer out of me.
Signed,
Dear NaNo Diary,
I think I may have overestimated how well I could do NaNoWriMo this year. Ah, who knows, maybe I just need to have a fifth “second cup of tea.” Still, the life of a writer sure is a whirlwind, between random mealtimes, lack of socializing, and the constant yelling at your scraggly fingers to type as fast as your thoughts can go. :P But… I’m still going to win this. I’m a writer– it’s a sacred obligation. 50,000 words is hardly anything, pfft. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy…Right?
Cordially,
November 12:
Dear NaNo Diary,
I am still behind. I have surpassed 13k words and will be surviving on coffee and word sprints until I catch up. It’s cold here on the couch, mostly because my cheap husband won’t turn the heat past 64 degrees. I’ve become so irritable and desperate I killed a character. It was amazing, like hitting that nitro switch in the fast and furious. The words just poured out of me. I felt a mixture of relief and guilt. I feel guilty that I’m relived to no longer have to remember they/them pronouns which is what that character preferred. RIP Micah, I’m sorry you couldn’t have lasted longer, perhaps you would’ve helped normalize they/them for the world. My poor frazzled brain was so scared of misgendering you that you just had to go. Fly high friend, you will always have a place in my heart as the first character I ever killed.
Until next time,
We’ll post more NaNo Diary entries as November (and our novels!) progress. In the meantime, you can share your NaNo Diary entries on the official forum post.
Good luck, writers!
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