So far, I think the 2 hardest things about NaNoWriMo are:

  1. Saying No — to distractions, to obligations, to cute puppies, to sleep.
  2. Allowing Yourself to Write Crap —  but you have to. And it’s probably not as bad as you think… (And even if it is, that’s what December is for: revising!)

Sigh.

I’m at about 7,000 words right now, which means I’m only… 967 words behind where I should be! Oh wait, I forgot to carry the decimal. So that’s… 9,670!

Doh.

Well, it’s all right. I refuse to be discouraged or stressed. For me, the goals for this month are to try to get to 50,000 words; to push myself; to create characters I love and a plot that keeps the reader hooked; and most of all, to learn more about myself as a writer. I need to figure out how I work best, and then do it. Simple as that.

And you know, I used to think I could copy other writers’ habits and routines. I asked my professors, I Googled my favorite authors, I asked every writer I met: HOW DO YOU DO IT? But the truth is, there is no “right way” to do it. (Only a few weird ones…) We each have to find the ways that best suit our individual personalities, you know?

That said, I still like reading about what other writers do. Morning v night, computer v long hand, plot vs pants? The Wall Street Journal recenty surveyed several different authors — including Junot Diaz, Orhan Pamuk, Anne Rice, and Margaret Atwood — about their writing habits (via Jeff Abbott). There are some very interesting answers. (And weird ones!)

Well, since we’re on the topic, what do you do? What’s your optimal writing routine?

16 responses to “Say no to life, yes to crap! … Wait, what??”