Sunday, October 17, 2010

Why I'm Not Doing NaNoWriMo This Year

Sometimes I get jealous when I surf other people's blogs.  "Wow," I think.  "They have their very own place on the internet where they can post what they like!" 

Of course, the moment that I actually form the feeling into so many words is usually the same moment that I remember I have my own blog. 

I am a silly goose, no?

At the moment, my laptop is back in semi-working condition.  I don't know how long it will last -- I've learned not to take anything for granted -- but I am determined to not be disappointed, no matter what happens with it.  Disappointment, when you really look at it, can be such a waste of energy.  Treat everything like a gift, and with time everything feels like a delightful surprise.  It's a beautiful way to live.

I am thinking that I might not do NaNoWriMo after all.  This morning, I found myself thinking of November, and wishing that I didn't have to curtail all the writing-related things I want to do, simply because I think I should do NaNoWriMo.  It is true that at this stage in my life, I desperately need some time devoted solely to creativity.  But the more I reflect on the matter, the more I think that NaNoWriMo is not the creative activity that I need.  

The reason that the passion and creativity have left my writing is this: since I discovered I could write, I have tried my best to accomplish something with my writing because I wanted to prove that I could accomplish something, not because I loved writing itself.  Sure, I still loved it, but I took that passion for granted as a tool, a means to an end.  The continual pressure I put on myself to perform has driven so much of the joy from my writing.  I find myself longing for the days when I could start random stories in order to play with an idea, without feeling like I absolutely had to finish them.  I want to be able to "doodle" with my writing again.   

So, here is what I propose to do with my writing life: instead of devoting the month of November to writing 50,000 words of a novel, I will devote that time to creativity.  I will play with ideas, construct plots I may never use, scribble character sketches, start stories that I will never finish, draw characters, and care not if I make a mess.  I will do the things that the performance pressure has kept me from doing.  And hopefully, I will heal. 

5 comments:

  1. right there with you hon!!!
    I don't let people read my stuff so my desire to impress is nonexistent, but it's a time issue for me. writing is coping. writing is an escape. which is why, despite freshman year in college AND senior year in high school AND work AND family, I am going to brave NaNo. I need it. I don't write enough.

    However, if you switch this blog post to apply to ART, I echo every word 150%.

    thank for posting this. i'm not alone :) <3

    - svenja

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  2. Exactly the same reason I decide to not do it each year.... Hang in there!

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  3. Sounds great, Cherise!! :D

    I'm actually thinking I may not finish this year... >.> I have a million and two things to do with my fashion/blog! So, we'll see how it goes...

    Best of luck to you! We must still keep in touch this November, ok??

    ~ Katie

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  4. I understand why you aren't doing Nanowrimo then. I'm doing nano, but the weird thing for me is that I haven't hardly written anything for the past year :( So I'm hoping I'll get something out of it this year. I wish you the best of luck though!! And I agree with Katie, we have to keep in touch this November :D
    ~Mooly (aka Molly)

    (p.s. I have a new blog. www.oldfashionedgirl.blogspot.com

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  5. Doodle writing sounds brilliant and so much fun!

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