Here we are, in the final days of what some writers know only as National Novel Writing Month. Regardless of how many words you generated during November, you’ve undoubtedly learned some valuable things about yourself as a writer: what motivates, sustains or inspires you. Or, if you chose not to participate, maybe you learned what intimidates, stifles or paralyzes you. Either way, a wise writer will carry these lessons with her, like the spirit of the looming holiday season, all year long.
This tiny NaNoWriMo voice may reside within your subconscious in a myriad of forms. Here are a few you might recognize:
The Coach
As youth, some of us may have had coaches we looked up to, motivators with the power to extract from our awkward pre-pubescent bodies greater feats than even we thought possible. Whether this person motivated with tough love, threats of push-ups, or stirring speeches, we believed in Coach’s goals and strained ourselves to achieve them. If your NaNo voice barks and whistles at you, take care you don’t allow him to become a joyless Taskmaster. The line between productivity and obsession is a fine one and as adults, we have the benefit of discernment not always developed in our impressionable younger selves. Nothing stokes burn-out faster than imbalance. When the work is done, praise yourself for the effort, whether the day felt like a win or a loss. Enjoy your well-earned rest.
The Rebel
In 1999, Chris Baty and a group of twenty other writers in the San Francisco Bay Area decided to challenge themselves to write 50,000 words in 30 days. The pace of creation demanded a silencing of the inner critic, or synchronous editor. For many writers, this devil-may-care approach to the process is freeing, allowing for maximum creativity and risk-taking. For others, the lack of structure, beyond basic word-count goals, may be paralyzing. But if you let your inner rebel out to play once in a while, she will emerge each time less like a starving, feral cat and more like a curious butterfly. Give yourself permission to write without expectations or censorship, and you may even recall why you picked this damned hard profession.
The Child
Remember when you used to do things, like hang upside down from the monkey bars, simply because you could? Watching my own children hurtle their bodies through space with alarming speed and agility, I know they can do such things in part because their muscles are strong and pliable, but also because they don’t stop mid-cartwheel to ask themselves if the stunt is perfect, useful or pleasing to others. Fearless writing is something we all admire and rarely feel capable of achieving ourselves, especially after decades of study, critique and self-discipline. What if, like a child in December, we allowed ourselves to be swept up in the magic without questioning the how or why?
Does your inner NaNo voice sound like one of these, or different altogether? What lessons will you carry throughout the year?
Health first, it also helps writing.