NaNoWriMo 2021 Week 2 Check In

 Almost halfway there, and a long, long way to go

Tomorrow will mark the halfway point of NaNoWriMo, which mathematically means I should be at 25,000 to be on track to "win."

Uhmm... but I'm not.  

As of yesterday, I was at 15, 859 words. Where I wanted to be was 22, 750 words. So I'm about 8,000 words behind and considering that I haven't once hit my daily goal of 2,275, I'm not quite sure "winning" will be possible. But I'm not giving up until November 30. 

There's two ways of looking at this....

Month half gone

I could focus on the inch of space between the red projected line of where I want to be and the dot over the November 13th that shows where I am. I could worry that I'm over 8,000 words behind. But what fun would that be? None and it wouldn't change where I am? 

Or...

Month half left

I could focus on the jagged, bumpy line with the dots on it. It's not smooth. It's not straight. It's not touching or passing the red line, but it's there. And it's climbing. 

That line shows I've been showing up and getting words on the page. And at the end of the month, that's really what winning is. Showing up consistently and having fun.

Finding my way back into story is my goal. Even through a 9 day migraine, I've found a way to show up most days and add a little more to my word count and a new spiral to my growing spiral tree.  For those new to this blog, one of my daily rewards is drawing a spiral to this tree in my NaNoWriMo journal: a simple, cost friendly (free), effective way to see my progress and stay motivated.

Growing my spiral tree

Little by little, I'm getting closer to my goals. I know some of you are crossing that halfway point, and some of you may have already surpassed 50,000, and some of you may be way behind and thinking of giving up. But don't.  Because as long as you're showing up and moving forward, you're winning too.

This challenge is for fun. A low stake gamble on yourself, a blank page playground waiting to become. Become whatever you want it to be. Whatever you create, protect the courage to keep showing up.

Wherever you are in this journey, you're not alone. Behind this screen are thousands (millions?) of us cheering you on. So grab your pen, keyboard, or markers, and keep writing.

Come back next week to see how it's growing and if I get any closer to my projected goals or if I fall further behind. If you're doing NaNoWriMo, leave me a comment and let me know how it's going.

Lastly, if you don't know what a zero draft is, you should check out this link to Alexa Donne's short YouTube video on Fast Drafting Tips and Zero Drafts.  Life changing! I've always wrote like this, but hearing that there was a name for it and that others wrote this way too, helped me to let go and write past fear, doubt, and uncertainty. So give it a try. Especially if you're feeling in a slump or stuck at this point, it could be the nudge you need to get back in it.

Ok, until next week. Happy writing, all!