NaNoWriMo, Week 2

NaNoWriMo Week 2 Statistics:

Words Written This Week: 11,817

Total Word Count: 25,651

Percentage Complete (assuming 50K words): Just over 50%!

Chapters Written: 12

How it’s going so far: I hit a couple of blocks this week. The first was on Wednesday, the day after the election. I woke up exhausted, in shock, and grieving. (I’m still experiencing those last two feelings.) It took me most of the day to summon the energy to write, and I gave myself permission to just write what I could and not feel the pressure to reach my usual goal of 2,000 words. (I aim higher than the prescriptive 1,667 words per day to make sure I leave wiggle room for days like that Wednesday, or holidays.) I wrote 1,200 words, and I felt very proud of getting that far.

I hit another block over the weekend, this time story-related. Even though I’m planning ahead week by week, I hadn’t figured out the details of a major plot point yet. (I’m “plantsing,” which is a combo of planning ahead and writing by the seat of my pants.) I took a break to wash dishes, and the answer came to me. It was even better than I’d hoped. I can’t wait to write it!

What I’ve learned:

1. Give yourself permission to lower the bar if the pressure of other life events overwhelms.
2. When the going gets tough, the tough do dishes.

   

For those of you doing NaNoWriMo, or those who are tackling a big project in your work or home life right now: what have you learned this week?