Wednesday, November 1, 2017

DAY OF THE DREAD

This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as the Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by the one and only, Alex J. Cavanaugh. If you're a writer, insecure, or just supportive of writers—insecure or not—please join us. It happens the first Wednesday of each month.I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words will be appreciated. 

Optional Question: Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project? Have any of them gone on to be published?

Today is November 1st...
Known here in Mexico as...
The Day of the Dead! 
Me as a catrina with my jungle kitty, Indie




But if you're a writer...
You probably know it as...
The Day of the Dread!
The NaNoWriMo challenge!
AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!



Me? Will I do NaNoWriMo?
No, not this year.
I did do NaNoWriMo several years ago.
It was exhilarating…
It was brutal…
It was also…
Never finished.
I wrote almost 30,000 words…
But just couldn’t find the oomph to go on.
I know, wimpy, wimpy, wimpy…
But in my defense…
I used to write copy-on-the-fly all the time…
When I worked at a radio station writing spots.
On a typical day…
A salespeople would fly into the creative department panicked…
“Client needs a :60 on the air in a few hours.”
Now mind you, I didn't write the average rip'n'read spots...
I wrote creative, well produced spots...
And because radio is 'theatre of the mind'...
I often incorporated SFX, music...
And sometimes character voices (I do over 30).
I had no option to say, “Eh, I don’t feel like writing today.”
Or...
“I’m busy with another project.”
I gotta say, as hectic as it often was...
I loved the challenge of writing fast and furious copy...
But unlike the NaNoWriMo challenge…
I had to finish...
And sometimes I got rewarded...
Winning many ADDY and Crystal awards. 
So each November 1st I ask myself...
Do I need a drill to force myself to write?
No.
So, it’s no, no, NaNoWriMo for me this year.
But what about you?
Will you do or not do NaNoWriMo?
Got any scary NaNoWriMo stories? 

Always,
Em-Musing

P.S. Hmm? Come to think about it - being part of thousands of writers  around the world racking their brains out for a month does sound kinda, sorta fun. So maybe next year I'll do NaNoWriMo. But before I even use one brain cell thinking about that challenge,  I'm going to concentrate on another upcoming challenge - the 2018 A-Z Challenge!




15 comments:

Pat Garcia said...

I understand your not doing NaNo especially when you are going to participate in the A to Z Blog Challenge, which is awesome.
Wishing you all the best for next year's challenge.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sounds like you just need a tangible goal to motivate you since you can write fast and furious when you have to.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Next year I'll also join you in doing NaNo. I like the phrase Day of the Dread ;)

Nicki Elson said...

30,000 words in a month is amazing! I'm not one for full-on NaNo, either - different things work for different people.

Happy Day of the Dead! It seems to be making more and more of a splash here in America, at least in the decorations they sell. I've got a couple of calaveras in my house. :)

Tamara Narayan said...

I've done the A to Z four times, but Nano? Nope. I don't think I could write something worth reading that fast, even if was edited later.

Rhonda Gilmour said...

I've done A to Z once, Nano twice. Now I write daily, so I no longer need the push. Love your costume and kitty!

Rebecca M. Douglass said...

I almost missed the kitty in the picture--hard to photograph black cats :)

NaNo is kind of fun. It is also definitely not for everyone, or every occasion. I do it when it fits my writing schedule. This year, I'm behind in my editing, so no, no NaNo for me, either.
—Rebecca
My IWSG Post

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I don't need the added pressure right now! Someday maybe.

menopausal mama said...

I've never participated in the challenge---a bit intimidating to me!

Carol Kilgore said...

November is always too busy for NaNo for me. Dia de los Muertos is big here in San Antonio, too.

Heather M. Gardner said...

That's so much pressure! I don't think I could write anything that fast! Good on you!

Heather

farawayeyes said...

No NANO FOR ME EITHER. I DID IT ONCE AND WON, BUT HAVEN’T HAD TH DRIVE TO WRITE TO THATKIND OF DISCIPLINE SINCE.

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