It was a long month, November. For thirty days, I tried to cut back my social media, netflix, reading, and social time, in order to write a novel.
This was my fourth year attempting NaNoWriMo, and my first year actually succeeding. I wrote 50,485 words of a novel. I would not call it finished, by any stretch of the imagination. Right now, it is a bunch of different word documents that need to be tied together. But I have a beginning, a middle, most of an end. It is, in my honest opinion, a solid backbone for a good book. One that I intend to finish.
This past month has not only been successful in that I finished writing over 50,000 words, but that it taught me so much. I know what time of day I write the most words (morning, right after I wake up). I know how much coffee I have to drink to be successful at anything (2 cups in the morning, and a cup in the afternoon).
I learned that being a writer is solitary work. I cut back on the time I spent with friends to put my word count first. I retreated to my room for days at a time, leaving only for food. I missed parties and events. I plugged into loud music and sat quietly in my little corner for hours.
It’s nice, at times to be solitary. But sometimes, it can be lonely.
Of course, I was having a lot of fun in my fictional world. But I found it’s also good to set aside time for friends and family. I don’t want the voices inside my head to be my only friends.
Finally, this month I learned that my talent is worth something.
I spend a lot of time worrying that I did the wrong thing by not choosing a stable job. I chose, like so many others of my generation, to do something I was passionate about, but not something that pays a lot of money.
Sometimes, I worry that I’ll never finish writing anything, never amount to anything more than a diner waitress.
But I finished NaNoWriMo. For the first time ever. That means a lot. November showed me that I shouldn’t worry about success, I should just do what I love. I love to write. So I will keep on doing it in the solitary of my room.
I have been writing since I can remember. When I was little, my wonderful mother would buy me piles of notebooks, which I would fill with stories and poems. I’ve thought about my childhood and background as a writer a lot this past month. I’ve had so much support from family and teachers and friends over the years. When I felt like I might not finish, I’ve thought of the times that people have cheered me on. They deserve a lot of thanks.
And of course, I want to thank the folks over at nano headquarters for cheering me on as well.
This month was an outstanding exercise and a journey in self-discovery. I cannot wait to finish, re-read, and revise my novel.
It was a long month, but it was totally worth it.
Yet Another Starving Artist 