Today is only the sixth day of NaNoWriMo – or National Novel Writing Month to the uninitiated – and I’m already about 50% behind on my word count. Evidently I’m a glutton for punishment since I so often fail at NaNo events yet always go back for more. Usually my problem is with narrative momentum, but this time around I’ve carefully plotted and am full of energy for my characters and stories. So what’s my issue? Oh, y’know, that pesky little thing called real life. Let me count the ways:
- Evil Day Job. And it is oh so evil at the moment. In fact, let’s just leave it at that – it’s too depressing to dwell on.
- Edits. I’ve just received the most intense set of line edits I’ve ever had for my March release with Samhain. Of course I’m glad they’re rigorous and that this book will be even better once I’ve finished them, but the timing – including the quick turnaround deadline – is so not ideal!
- Social commitments. Sometimes it makes perfect sense that so many great writers are totally self-isolating misanthropes. Who has time to cultivate friendships and write novels?
- Hangover. See above. Zero words on Sunday, NaNo Day Three, because I was busy longing for my own death and swearing never to drink again.
- Promo. Oh holy heck I have a book coming out on the 21st! Guest blog posts abound and I have written exactly none of them thus far.
- The gym. Haha, just kidding! I haven’t been in almost a week.
Are you NaNo-ing this year? How’s it going? If you want to be my NaNo buddy or track my progress or simply laugh heartily at my failure, you’re welcome to do so here. It’s okay, I don’t mind – a little schadenfreude is good for the soul, right?