Real Writers Write – a plan for us NaNoWriMo holdouts

Inspired by the RMFW conference, my critique partners and I are participating in a writing challenge this fall. In an effort to develop the daily writing habit, we declare our intentions, much as the NaNoWriMo participants do. We challenge ourselves with so many words a week or so many pages a week, with a goal to write daily.

I’m sure you’ve heard the comments by NYTBSA’s like Nora Roberts, Stephen King, et al, who, when asked about their daily routine, stress that real writers write. They write each and every day. That consistency is what helps them release over three and more novels a year.

Slacker me, I crank out one when I have the perfect combination of inspiration and time, zero when I don’t.

A cartoon circulated about ten years ago depicted two rooms full of writers, all typing away on their keyboards. Under the cartoon on the top, it read “Unpublished writers.” Under the identical cartoon below, it read, “Published Authors.” The message was simple: as a striving-to-be-published author, one needs to work hard to learn the craft. While  studying writing components such as plotting and characterization are necessary, learning only occurs when the principles are applied, i.e., during the writing.

And as a published author, your fans and your publisher will want you to produce at least one book a year, preferably more, so one should write, and write frequently.

If we write to be rich and famous, we become dependent on external validation to make that happen, and without it, it’s likely we’ll lack adequate inspiration to write every day.

If we write to please ourselves, the writing is intensely personal and there’s less pressure. I write because it’s a joy, and it’s extremely entertaining. I also enjoy sharing my work, and it delights me when others enjoy my words, so I write to publish.

Must we write every day? I propose that the rule need not be so absolute. There are days of accidents and heartaches and legal difficulties and the flu. Let’s not allow that little voice inside to deride us and sap our confidence if we miss a day here or there. I haven’t set a daily rate for each week within this challenge, but I’ve set a goal that requires, if not daily writing, most days writing.

Because I’m a confirmed plotter and hopeless editor-in-progress, NaNoWriMo is a fantastic program that I’ll likely never try. Adapted to my needs, however, it can serve as inspiration to get me there.

So far, it’s working well, and I’ve made my goal for four weeks straight. I’m beginning to feel the rhythm of daily writing, and it makes the story I’m writing much more exciting. I would love making sufficient progress to eventually release a book every six months.

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo or a modified version with your critique buds? What are your goals for November?

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