Just Be There Blog

Nine

Oh dear! I'm a day early with this inspiration to write...

So what got me here on a Saturday? Let me tell you a story about my WDC habits. I generally check onto the site twice a day during the week; once in the a.m. and once in the p.m. (before and after work). My weekend check ins may only happen once a day, but I try to look in twice. I always read through the community newsfeed to see who has posted (I don't always read the links the members have shared, however). So I sort of keep up with the community activities and see who is who and what individuals are about. Kind of like skimming a news periodical without really reading in depth.

Two things caught my attention today: the announcement that NaNoWriMo is a week away; and a dear friend (~Lifelessons~ ) is having life issues. (I commented on her post to lend her my support during her time of challenge.) But to be honest, what brought me here to write in my blog was the realization that NaNo was upon the community again. I found myself excited about the prospect of celebrating November with a will and desire to write. (My muse woke up)

I find it amazing how NaNo sparks a writing frenzy within the WDC community and like a baby's laughter, NaNo sparks creativity from a writer suffering from long term writer's block. My writer's block is basically systemic from lack of enthusiasm (or so goes my theory). I derive this conclusion from the fact that when I feel the excitement of creative energy around me, I always make the time to write...something...like today.

It is a sad notion to realize that my writing is dependent on outside influences. My creative enthusiasm used to be a perpetual welling up from the core of my being, which I could not subdue no matter how much I tried. But my ego and muse are intertwined in such a way that when my ego diminished over the last thirteen years, so too did the muse turn away and curl up in the fetal position. I am glad to be able to feel her stirrings within me during trigger events such as NaNo (last year my inspiration was Gaby's month long GOT contest). I love the excitement I am feeling at this moment. The anticipation of an awakened muse is something to celebrate and encourage with truthful flattery and outright bribery. I may only write during the weekends, as work takes its toll upon my creative strength and endurance. What if I could, I'd write at work, but alas my total mental concentration is required for the job if I am to avoid making mistakes. At the same time, the mental energies spent for concentration at work tends to zap energy to create at home. Albeit, I would lose sleep if I were able to write after work, gladly. But I'm in the position at my job that I can't afford to make mistakes. It will be a balancing act in November and one I will happily attempt.

Of course, I won't officially compete in NaNo. I won't commit to the daily word count challenge. Rather, my four goals will be modest. 1) I will endeavor to write new material for an old story, my fallback love affair with Malyn's Saga. 2) I will devote time every weekend toward the completion of the first book (there are four total in this saga). 3) I will strive to cherish every accomplishment toward the first two goals. The third part of my said goals just might encourage my muse to stick around longer than the NaNo frenzy. I could potentially finish the second book and then the third book and so on... The first two books are each 75% complete. The third book is slightly less than half finished and the fourth book has the ending page written. So I know where Malyn is going, I just need to fill in the gaps to get her there.

Because I'm not officially competing in NaNo, I will start earlier than 11-1 and hope to continue far passed 11-30. I will keep a progress record and a commentary in my blog...by the way that is #4 in my goals...the accountability record.