Friday, Already?

This roadside ruin is no longer capable of inspiring the writers of tomorrow who will waste their best years looking for a dealer in uts.

So, it's time for our still-probationary Friday feature where we bullet point what we've done for our writerly selves. The definition is expansive, and feel warmly invited to contribute your own.

As I'm sure is clear by now (and if you're bored with the mentions, we're halfway through), a few of us WOM are participating in NaNoWriMo this year. For me, as in my previous 3 years of attempts, it's been challenging to generate the daily word count without draining of ideas faster than a leaky bucket. I'm somewhat behind the pace, but Week 2 is always the worst. It's known for that, in case you yourself noticed it's been sucking donkey danglers. The beginning enthusiasm dims, replaced by the reality of the long haul ahead, and your story may not yet have the momentum to carry you along. Not even enough momentum to carry a banana peel across greased tile. I've discovered that 1000 (un-good) words a day is a cinch for me, and at 2000, I'm a blubbering void.

Then, I got Sara Gruen's pep talk for next week. First of all, she's already been participating for years. Yet another representative proof that it's not just unserious dilettantes who find the exercise worthwhile. And like many of us, real-life awfulness slugged her in the word count:

Then life got in the way... [infected horse, Sara breaks her foot, dog diagnosed with late-stage cancer- you know, a Tuesday]...But as soon as we'd spent the requisite fortune to prove to her that we love her, she miraculously recovered (all our pets have taken up this method of proving our continued devotion). Meanwhile, my word count was slipping a little further every day. (You're probably wondering where the pep part of this pep talk comes in, aren't you?)

It was a bonus to learn that pets are the same all over. With incredible timing, mine also require shocking fiduciary testaments of affection every so often. But, most importantly, I learned that we were almost the same amount of words behind, and felt incredibly edified in my slackitude.

In the wee hours of last night, when I was trying to figure out how I could possibly give advice to people about their word counts when mine is so abysmal, I realized my problem. I've been ignoring my own advice, and everyone else's too. You know, the "no editing" rule, and the "it's okay to write a really bad first draft" rule, and the "move around the story as much as you want" rule. I was dutifully handing that advice out to my nano'ing friends, but I wasn't taking it myself and I was (and am) 5,640 words behind where I should be according to my little spreadsheet. But today, I am going to jump around and write only the fun bits! I’m going to write about food fights, and disastrous sex, and escaping in-laws, and apes with unlimited credit! I'm going to write about roach-infested motel rooms with strippers upstairs and ways of using Jefferson Starship's "We Built This City" as revenge! (Sorry Grace, I love you, but...)

And whenever one of those scenes starts winding down, I am going to ditch it without so much as a sayonara and look for the NEXT fun scene. The transitions can wait...

I've begun with a new character's POV, and (Hooray!) he's got a lot to say. The words and ideas are loosening up, and I'm heartily thankful for it a week earlier than gratitude's official due date. Jeeves had his fish diet, but I'm here to testify that Entenmann's mini chocolate donuts really are the WD40 for rusted brains. And I'll need at least another box if I hope to join everyone else in the NaNo winner's circle by month's end.

However, simply surviving Week 2 without quitting or entirely dooming myself feels pretty freaking sweet, I think to myself, as I watch the incandescent leaves raining onto the lawn outside the window. So, what've you been up to?