The Art of Writing Constantly

Do you remember how excited you were during the months leading toward National Novel Writing Month? In the days leading up to November 1, I swapped notes with friends about our characters and fought that itch to start writing early, lest I forget all my plans. During the months between NaNoWriMo and Camp, some of you may have found yourselves in the doldrums.

Last year, during NaNo Prep, we did a series called the Inspiration Diaries that talked about all the things that kept us inspired to write. But if you’re feeling as though the inspiration has dried up, I totally get you. After studying creative writing, I spent my first year and a half as a college graduate bemoaning my writer’s block, eating lots of cereal, and wondering vaguely if I’d ever get another idea again.

But since 2013 began, I took a page out of Tupelo Hassman’s pep talk: NaNoWriMo can be an all-year-round thing. I started the year by trying to write 3000 words a week. The number is doable (that is, I can still see daylight), but also challenging for me. But it is because of all this that I’ve found my inspiration.

When you’re in the habit of writing, everything, and I mean everything, has the potential to be fodder for a new or current project: a park where you took your niece, something witty your friend said, or a dream you had. I always relearn this when I start writing again, but it was really hammered home a few weekends ago when I was playing with my friend’s refrigerator magnets and dreamed up an entire story idea from a mere four words. Is it a good story? I don’t know. I’m having fun with it. However, two years ago, it wouldn’t have worked this way. Two years ago, my brain wasn’t in writer mode. (If you must know, it was in languish-in-a-lack-of-words mode.) Two years ago, I would have shuffled the fridge magnets around and said, “Hm that’s kinda funny,” and left it at that.

Writing every week is hard, but it’s also some crazy déjà vu. Sometimes my commitments pile up and I don’t make it. Sometimes I have to negotiate with myself. Sometimes I need a writing buddy to kick my butt and give me a hard time if I’m not writing. (Sometimes I kick my writing buddy’s butt.) Sometimes I appeal to my kick-butt writing group. But having written a novel in 30 days, I know it’s absolutely possible.

Have you been writing after NaNoWriMo?

— Ari

Photo by Flickr user Brandice Schnabel.