Day 4: The Devil is Shaking Up Your Story

Today's NaNo word count goal is 6666. {The Omen anyone?}

It's 9pm (Eastern time) and I have written nothing yet.

Zero. Words. Period.

I don't have to tell you that feels awful. Fear not! I'm going to get my word count in as soon as my child is lying in her bed.

By around Day 4 any weaknesses in the foundation of your story might start shaking things up. This is normal and to be expected. Demonic possession is the name of the NaNo game. Seriously, this shaky ground can actually be because of many things up to and including: low self-confidence, a weak story, boring characters, a lack of tension, excess description, too little action, etc.

The good news is that ALL of this is fixable with time and perseverance. (Two out of four written scenes for me are less than stellar. I make a note, something like, "where's the f-ing action?" and move on. I'll amp things up during the second draft.)

I urge you to also keep going. This first week is the introduction to the school of hard knocks. This is the week when all of the drop-outs drop out. Keep going. If you don't push through to the other side now, then you'll never know if you are capable of pushing through Week 2 or the horrors that make up Week 3. Seriously. Horrors. Not kidding here. Horrors.


What ways are you finding make writing through NaNo easier? [Coffee/wine/water and music are helping me out.]

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