We’ve gotten through the first week of NaNoWriMo. How are things going on your end?

I thought that by trying something new for the adventure, it would make things a little easier, should obstacles, such as the dreaded mythological beast that is known as Writer’s Block, pose a problem. Rather than writing a single story, I’ve decided on tackling a collection of short stories–different genres, too, because I’m clearly a masochist–to fulfill my NaNoriffic requirements.

There are Plotters and Pantsers when it comes to writing. Plotters like to have a roadmap that clearly shows them where they’re headed in the story. Depending on the genre, writers will sometimes start at the end and work their way backwards. Pantsers, on the other hand, as the name implies, write by the seat of their pants and I’ve been told, find the organic process of getting the words out to be fruitful in its spontaneity.

I find myself somewhere in the middle, a Plantser, if you will. I like to loosely plan out a general idea of the stories, which is what I did for the week, but have the flexibility to switch things up, as needed.

There are pros and cons to this.

PRO: The ability to switch between stories when the mood strikes. This works especially well, when you’re in a writing groove overall, but the current story you’re on isn’t moving forward.

CON: You have a starting lineup for your collection that is quickly multiplying like Gremlins in the rain.

PRO: You can avoid staring at a blank screen or page because you have multiple stories to jump to (provided there was some initial plantsing) and you can always meet your writing quotas.

CON: Unless you set specific goals for each story, it’s just as easy to end up with half a dozen unfinished stories by the end of the month. You get all excited with the story in front of you, then a new idea pops into your head and now you’ve got a case of the ‘ooh, shiny!’

I could go on but, ain’t nobody got time for that much writerly brooding.

Now, all I have to do is write with as much gusto and multiply that times six, or seven… or… I’ve been dancing between two new stories. *le sigh* Memo to self: try combining story ideas rather than creating an entirely new beast to slay.

I’ve decided not to put too much pressure on myself. It’s been a while since I really dove back into writing. I did Camp NaNo this year and it was mostly prep and background work for an ongoing project. This time around, my hope is to have a handful of completed short stories. I know it can be done. I wrote a short story based on a dream I had several years ago. Woke up on a Saturday and had it finished by Sunday afternoon.

Easy peasy, right?

How’s the first week of NaNo been treating you? What have you been doing to keep the fire stoked?

Remember, you got through the first week. Keep going. Write now, edit later–as difficult as that might be to do. Get the words out of your head and onto the screen or page. You got this.

Stay creative, stay weird, be kind to yourself and others.

Until next time,

T out.