Writer Wednesday: Words of Encouragement

Week 2 of NaNoWriMo is when many authors begin to question themselves. Question their commitment to the insane writing schedule they've devised for themselves, squeezed into a short month with too many days off from school and a holiday or two thrown into the mix.

Why did I sign up for this?

What was I thinking?

On the other hand, if I get a good basis going, does it matter if I "win" NaNo or not? I win either way, because I'm actually writing. Somehow, I'm actually finding time to write.

So here are my Words of  Encouragement, for myself and my fellow NaNo authors who are wavering on the fence of "I can't do this anymore"...

Write. Don't worry about reaching that daily word count the computer program spits out. Don't worry when the graph tells you "At this rate you'll be finished..." and give you a date somewhere in 2014.

Just write. Grab a few stolen moments after you tuck the kids into bed. Set your alarm a little early and get up before the rest of the household. Or schedule a block of time for yourself formally, on the calendar. Whatever works best for you.

Keep writing. Forget the extensive research about that particular flower that you remember seeing on the mountain in Colorado that would be perfect for the story. Put in some parenthesis and Google it later. After November. Don't get bogged down on the Name Search site, trying to find the perfect name for the minor character mentioned in chapter three who was best friends with the MC's little brother. Put in question marks an go back later, after November. Keep the words flowing, and the action moving forward.

Don't get stuck blogging or Facebooking or editing what you've already written. Oh wait, that's what I'm doing now. So do as I say and not as I do, I guess. But when you find yourself on Facebook, be aware that if you have time to scroll down your home page, you really should be writing.

Enjoy the time you are spending writing. Savor it. Be conscious of how much you enjoy getting lost in your story, your words, your world... and wouldn't it be great to do this full-time and actually make a living writing? Isn't that every author's dream? So... Write.

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How about you? Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? If so, how are you doing? And how are you staying motivated? Share your favorite tip to keep going, and keep writing!