Confessions of a NaNoWriMo Novice

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I spent November participating in National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo, an annual writing marathon of banging out 50,000 words in thirty days, which breaks down to roughly 1,667 words per day. The primary goal of NaNoWriMo is to generate a messy first draft, but the deeper purpose is to develop a writing habit and unleash your creativity. Discipline and silencing your inner critic are crucial to getting the most out of this challenge. Since it took me ten years to write my second book, I needed this boot camp like nobody’s business. Completing half a novel in a month? Sign me up!

But as a NaNoWriMo novice, I can humbly confess–drumroll, please–that I was among the 85% who did not reach 50,000 words. I wrote nearly every day for hours on end but discovered I’m one of those people who can’t write with abandon and put thoughts and words on a page without editing as I go along. Working towards a daily word count was nerve-racking and there were many times I—and my manuscript—felt like a hot mess. In my defense, I had to rethink main character names (a seemingly simple yet complicated task!) and reconstruct a critical detail in the fictionalized world I’m building. I was stuck; mentally incapable of moving forward until I had sorted out those two problems.

Despite a less than stellar outcome, I don’t regret the time and effort I spent on NaNoWriMo. It’s a fantastic initiative and enabled me to connect with a virtual community of writers. After months of running around and feeling scattered, I established a daily writing routine and am much farther along than I would have been without NaNoWriMo. Most importantly, I never wanted to give up. Even though I fell behind–and it would be cosmically impossible for me to get back on track–I never considered throwing in the towel.

But to maintain this momentum, I have to put my writing at the top of my to-do list. Participating in this 30-day challenge required prioritizing it over everything that wasn’t essential. I define “essential” as my family and author-related work, so trying a new exercise class, coffee mornings, and other interesting activities that fuel my imagination had to take a back seat to even contemplate reaching that 1,667 daily word count. My biennial mammogram? Essential. Checking out a new restaurant? Not so much. Once-in-a-lifetime events like my 20th Wedding Anniversary and birthdays were celebrated, but there was no room for extraneous pursuits. NaNoWriMo provides a checklist on how to prep and suggests ways your family and friends can help you reach the 50,000 words goal. My husband and kids were super-supportive and pepped me up when I was losing steam.

Even with an outline and strict time management, I still fell short of 50K and didn’t win my NaNoWriMo badge. My husband joked that whatever the deadline is, just double it! The most frustrating part of this challenge was sitting for eight hours to only write 500 words. NaNoWriMo has motivated me to find strategies to accelerate my thought process and improve my writing flow. Moving forward, I need to focus on a rough first draft and throw perfection to the wind.

I would definitely take part in NaNoWriMo again and thank the organization for creating such an inspiring writing platform and laying out a program for success. It was liberating to hunker down and concentrate exclusively on my new book. It rejiggered my mindset and expanded my creative bandwidth. It also confirmed that I need structure and space to gather my thoughts. In the spirit of NaNoWriMo, my current goal is one chapter a week. It’s a good number for my approach to writing and I’ll apply the NaNoWriMo mentality to stay the course. In the mean time, maybe NaNoWriMo would consider giving me an honorable mention…

READER’S BLOCK RESCUE

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As a child, I was a voracious reader. I made weekly trips to the library, checked out as many books I could, and consumed them like a junkie. My fifth-grade teacher worried whenever I stayed indoors for recess, nose buried in one of Judy Blume’s masterpieces, and didn’t join the other kids out on the playground. I was confused: how could being a bookworm be a negative? I ignored her concerns and kept reading. My habit continued through adulthood. I read on subways and airplanes and always packed a half-dozen novels whenever I went on vacation. I even perfected balancing a book while nursing my children.

The intensity of my reading varied over the years, depending on whether I was working on my own manuscripts. I never wanted to be unintentionally influenced by someone else’s work—particularly if it was in a similar genre—and would take self-imposed reading breaks. These breaks stretched on and on and when I finally had the time and space to pick up a book again, I had difficulty getting into it. Coupled with the prevalence of smartphones, with their easy access to articles, blogs, and social media, and the allure of high-quality TV-series, my reading stalled. Quite simply, my attention span couldn’t handle a full-length novel. Scrolling rather than deep reading had become my default form of consumption. I’d start something and then give up if it didn’t catch my interest in the first twenty or thirty pages. This was highly unusual for me. As a writer and avid reader, I know all too well styles differ. Many novels are a slow burn and it can take several chapters for a story to reveal itself.

I still purchased books but my lack of commitment to actually read them symbolized my descent into literary No Man’s Land. How could I call myself a writer, if I had developed such a complicated relationship with reading? It’s been well-documented that reading is good for our intellect and mental well-being. It’s an active process, requiring us to employ several different parts of the brain at the same time, unlike television which is typically consumed in a passive manner. Developing a reading habit increases our vocabulary, improves our spelling, expands our knowledge, and reduces the risk of memory loss. We become smarter, more engaged individuals by reading. Reading is a proven stress reducer. It demands we slow down and escape into a quiet space internally, blocking the influence of fast-paced stimuli like the noise and images from buzzing screens. Reading also exposes us to a variety of experiences and broadens our perspectives. It nurtures our imagination, creativity, and sense of empathy.

However, with two children and a laundry list of responsibilities, my patience to pick up a book and stick with it was tested. Things culminated a couple of years ago when I realized I had only read a handful of books over a twelve-month period. What had happened to Book Junkie Jenn? The young girl whose idea of bliss was escaping into imaginary worlds and reading 2-4 books a week? As a writer, I’d certainly experienced writer’s block. But reader’s block? That was sacrilege! Plus, my vocation would surely go out of business if more people developed this condition. Turns out I wasn’t alone. Other writers have also revealed they’ve experienced this phenomenon. British author Lisa Jewell (whose thrillers I’ve been devouring of late) confessed to a reading block in an Instagram post. I felt her pain! But all is not lost. Here are five of my tips to rescue you from this ailment:

1. Start with less challenging books. We all have fantasies of finishing War and Peace, but unless you’re a student or stranded on a deserted island with no interruptions, it may be difficult to get through 1,225 pages in the real world of jobs, kids, and mental fatigue. Sometimes in order to reconnect with reading, one has to choose something on the menu that’s more easily digested. Read whatever interests you. I’m not a book snob. Pay no attention to whether it’s considered high or low brow. As long as you’re reading and want to keep turning the pages, you’ve already scored a victory.

2. Read a book in a different format. The growing popularity of audiobooks is proof that the reading audience is hungry for a good story but in a different medium. In our busy world, we don’t always have the luxury to hunker down with a physical book. Audiobooks allow us to listen to novels–often narrated by the authors themselves or by award-winning voices–while we exercise, commute, or do chores. I don’t think it diminishes the experience since one must still concentrate on the words and mood being conveyed. Our imagination must still paint a picture of the story. I’ve also become a big fan of e-books for their user-friendliness and lower price point. I downloaded the Kindle app on my smartphone last year and wonder why it had taken me so long. Instead of reading blogs or articles, I can now swipe through an e-book as I stand in line or sit in my car waiting for my son at soccer practice. Downloading e-books assures that I will always have reading material close at hand.

3. Mix it up. If you’re experiencing reading fatigue, it may be because you’re reading books that are too similar to each other, which may also explain why you no longer feel that sense of wonder and satisfaction. Instead of taking a reading break, try something in a different genre. For example, I used to only read fiction, but in recent years, I’ve added more non-fiction and memoirs to my repertoire and many of those narratives have left a more powerful impression on me.

4. Schedule time for reading just as you would pencil in time for working out or coffee with a friend. Better yet, have a weekly date with a book, preferably outside of your house. It goes without saying that a reading ritual necessitates a tech-timeout. Immerse yourself in the simple pleasure of reading; just you and the book.

5. Binge read a book like you would a Netflix series says novelist Ben Dolnick. Get into the zone, the same way you did for The Crown, Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards. Clear your calendar, settle in on your couch, and dig in. If you approach reading as entertainment rather than a high-brow burden, I promise you will enjoy it as much as the latest program on Netflix!

What are some of your tips for beating the reader’s block blues?

CHANGING COURSE

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Something strange happened over the summer: I got a new story idea. As a novelist who had experienced “writer’s block” for many years, the prospect of two narratives spinning in my head was nothing short of miraculous. Rather than jump for joy, I stiffened in hesitation. I had already done considerable research and interviews for Story Idea #1, sketched out characters, and created a plot outline. I had even written three chapters! However, a force beyond my control took over when we moved to our summer cottage by the sea. Other voices and visions began taking hold, urging me forward.

Nevertheless, I proceeded with caution and made a list of why I was drawn to Story Idea #2.  Did I feel overwhelmed by #1? Was it those sticky plot points I hadn’t completely figured out yet? Was I struggling to depict the conflicts? The answer to all three questions was YES, but they weren’t sufficient reasons to discard the original idea. I had covered unfamiliar terrain in Lagging Indicators and believed I could do it again. What I couldn’t ignore was the emotional attachment I had begun to develop with Idea #2, its cast of characters, and themes. I was undoubtedly influenced by personal events (daughter going off to college) and wanted to use that backdrop to explore questions of family and identity.

While inspiration can be magically inexplicable, I recognized that without a clear plan, I would be abandoning an existing, developing story for a simmering, underdeveloped one. As an exercise, I gathered research material for #2; created thumbnail descriptions of the main characters, including names; imagined a setting with a distinctive feature; and crafted a working title. My final criterion was whether I could write the back cover copy. If I can summarize the essence of the story in a catchy way, I feel much more confident about its potential. Once I had accomplished this, Story Idea #2 began to unfold in a tangible form.

However, I haven’t abandoned my first story idea. I’m still conducting informal interviews and taking notes, but I feel a stronger visceral connection to #2 at the moment. What have I learned from this unforeseen turn of events? Although it may sound counterintuitive, spending time and effort on a project may actually lead you to THE project, the one that flows organically from your creative center and brings you closer to your truth. It’s imperative to listen to your inner voice! I’m prone to feeling guilty for not completing a task and had to grant myself “permission” to put that first story on hold. Even though I’m the driver of this writing enterprise, I still had to rationalize changing course, as though I had broken some cardinal rule on writing a novel! While I don’t recommend flitting from one idea to the next without a roadmap, I do think it’s worthwhile to seize those impulses flooding your mind with scenes, characters, and dialogue.

Many writers work on multiple books at the same time and have developed strategies for keeping their stories distinct. I will take them to heart and look forward to developing both of my ideas further—one novel at a time!