When I did my first NaNoWriMo post, seven days ago, I noted my goals. By 11:59 pm on November 30th, I wanted to have written 20,000 words of Rose. Dividing that up into the four weeks I had left, that meant I had to write 5,000 words a week.
I started at 14,117 words. And yes, the counter on the right is accurate. I updated it last night after I wrote my third (yes THIRD) chapter for the week. I'm now at 20,372 words. And for those of you playing at home, that means I wrote 6,255 words this week! Whoo-hoo!
The last time I've written three chapters in one week has to be back when I was in middle school and I was writing a book for my friend. I was actually really close to finishing that book. The thing that stopped me was the fact that I went into high school and no longer had any free time to write. And that is exactly why I love NaNoWriMo. It's forcing me to make writing a high priority.
Now, that may mean that laundry isn't getting done and dishes aren't getting washed. And that's why I gave myself my own NaNoWriMo goal. Cutting the goal down means I'm being motivated, but not overwhelmed. I have a puppy and a husband who need to be taken care of. Maybe once Husband of Mine isn't in school anymore, I'll be able to really sit down and focus on writing without having to worry about what a huge mess our apartment is.
I also want to use this post to thank everyone who ever encouraged me to write. I'll start with my parents. From a very young age they noticed my love for books and words, and they did everything in their power to encourage that love. Sometimes I'd read a word I didn't understand, and my mom would put aside whatever she was doing to explain the word to me. Often, she would even set aside time so we could read together. Both of my parents forked out who knows how much money to buy me pretty much any book I wanted, because they knew I'd read every book on my shelf. And when I decided I wanted to be a writer, not once have they told me that that wasn't a good career option. They wanted me to follow my dreams and do what I loved, even if it was a risky path.
My whole family has always supported my decision to write. Especially Husband of Mine, a crazy busy mechanical engineering student. Instead of telling me that I can't do it, he tells me to go and do it. Instead of telling me that I'll probably never sell a book, he finds ridiculously expensive houses and says one day I'll be able to afford it because I'll make millions off my writing. (Obviously, I'm not planning to make millions and be a best seller, but he's so positive that I'm talented, and that really pushes me to keep going when I don't believe in myself).
I've had a lot of friends who have helped too. From my 8th grade best friend who would attack me every morning to steal my notebook and read what I wrote, to people I've never met in person but were attracted to my book on Scribophile and push me to write because they want to read more, you've done wonders for my writing. Then there's my step-aunt and uncle who bought me books about writing and fantasy, (and now they +1 my blog on Google+!). They've been interested in my writing since I first told them I wanted to be a writer. They've been reading it and offering feedback for years.
And that leads right into everyone who ever read my blog. From my Facebook friends who like my posts, down to some people I've never met who read it too. Seeing how many people are looking at what I do (and keep coming back) is incredibly encouraging. I've had 1900 views! I haven't even been doing this for six months yet!
As a writer it's very easy to lose faith in yourself and your craft. Thoughts like, "This will never be perfect," and, "This will never get published," are very common. Those days are the days where I find myself unable to write a single word. But then someone says something to me and I find myself itching to get home and back to my writing.
It is because of those little encouragements that I was able to write 6,255 words this week. Hopefully I'll be able to keep it up for next week! I'll be back with more NaNoWriMo pep talks this week. Keep checking to watch the word count go up as I write!
~Alyson
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