Nano Day 6: Back in the Race

Slump averted!

After two days of null writing, I finally sat down with my novel, and jumped back into it.  The scene came easily enough, and in no time I had my 2k for today.  And I’m not done yet.

And what do I have to thank for this remarkable *cough*notreally*cough* achievement?  Much as I’d like to claim it comes from self-motivation and pure determination, I have to give credit where credit is due, to the wonderful invention that is the Write-in.

For those unfamiliar with Nano, or just those who have never taken part in a write-in, the idea is simple.  A bunch of participants get together in a common area (like a coffee shop or, in my case, a library) and you write.  Simple enough.  Not especially a lot of talking either, just writing.  Something about being in a room full of people, working for the same goal as you, is seriously motivating.  And I think more so because there isn’t a lot of socializing.  The room knows if you’re slacking off, they are watching to make sure you stay on task.  But more than anything, we’re all there in a great show of solidarity.  You are not alone.

And that is, in a real way, the point of Nanowrimo altogether.  You are not alone.  There are thousands of people, all over the world, and they are all working towards that 50k, the novel they have always wanted to write.  It’s not about guilt for not writing, it’s about the common experience, the shared effort which will result in so much success.

So maybe I have problems sometimes.  Maybe I hit a slump.  But there are hundreds of thousands of people out there, taking part in this wonderful challenge of Nanowrimo.  And at least some of them are having the same problems I am.  I am not alone.

But my novel?  That is very much alone right now.  So if you’ll excuse me, I will be going and spending some quality time with my novel.  We’ll see if we can’t work through another thousand tonight.