My years are a bit in opposition. Last year work was slow for me - a project that had been expected for me got pushed off and the other projects did not fill up my time all the way. And I knew at the time that was incredibly unusual in my line of work and I should savor it to the fullest and so having finally gotten out in to the world enough to hear about NaNo I signed up. And I won - but man it was by the skin of my teeth on the final day.
This year work is crazy. I am working crazy hours, I feel guilty if I stop at five or six - even though I started at eight thirty. I was ruthless about taking a lunch hour every day, but lately even that has been slipping. So, I knew it was a recipe for insanity for me to attempt NaNo this year. I knew going in I probably wouldn't win. But I had been letting the writing slide and I had a story that really wanted to get out and so this would at least push me to start. And I won. I had to bust my butt the last few days to catch up, but I did.
This proves that whole thing about how you find ways to make time for the things you want to do. (Although I recognize that a bit like believing in a simplistic version of karma that is an attitude that can get you into a big guilt spiral if you examine it too closely.)
Now of course this story is a big mess right now, and it may never see the light of day. But it was so great to get it out of me. I have heard people snicker about how real writers are writers all the time, and, while I see their point there's a reason there are support groups for weight loss and smoking. There's a reason people head off to houses of worship each week. Because sure, you know what you ought to be doing, but it is much easier to do it in a group. Even if it's an online group just knowing that other people who have guests coming to visit or six kids or high powered jobs or a crazy amount of laundry piling up - they are out there plugging away and am I going to let those people beat me? Sure I know my life is my own and I have to do these things because I want to or am convinced it is worthwhile, but doing it with the group makes it seem real. That's why people run a marathons. You could run 26.2 miles any old day (I don't personally get it, but you could) but you do it on the specific day with a group gathered round and it takes on special meaning.
So, I made it. Now I have to polish it. Let me just get that laundry...
Rants About New (and old) Things
