Carol's Corner

National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo happens in the month of November. The goal is to write 50,000 words of a story from November 1-30. No edits, no starting early on the word count just get the ideas and words down on paper or typed into your computer.

I posted in October how my grandson had challenged me to try writing a fiction story. I thought I could not but he insisted I try. My oldest daughter encouraged me to sign up for NaNoWriMo to begin this challenge while forming a habit of writing each day. I accepted both challenges.

Prior to November 1, I began to think of a story to write. Once the idea percolated in my brain I did some research about the early 1900’s in North West Territories Canada – now Saskatchewan. I planned some characters, took a drive in the country, read old family stories about the time period and jotted pages of notes while attending a pre NaNoWriMo workshop. I just needed November to arrive, sit at my computer and begin to put the research and ideas into words.

The time arrived to begin. I tried to begin. I deleted. I started over. Hit delete. The negative monkey voice in my head kept jeering at me, “You don’t write fiction. You don’t know what to do. Why bother?”

The running dialogue had me running from my desk. My husband challenged me to try. After all editing can happen later only if you actually have some words, ideas and story to edit. The mini meltdown complete, more or less, I began to rethink my strategy. I typed and left the words there. I added more words and left them in place as well. Finally, that evening I went to the local kickoff for the month long writing event. The proverbial light bulb moment happened. I understood what writers meant when they wrote scenes of their story.

I made a list of scenes I knew must be part of the whole story. The task, broken into small steps, made the project feel like more of a possibility. November 30 will tell the tale of success at writing 50,000 words or not but I know accepting the challenge has already been worth it because I overcame some fear, survived a mini meltdown on day one and added a new writing lesson to my education.

What ah ha moment have you had recently? How will it help you move forward in whatever challenge you are presently tackling?