Pamela Grace

I’ve heard about the NaNoWriMo initiative for years. My first ever introduction to it was six or seven years ago when a good friend of mine decided to participate. At the time, I thought she was insane to attempt to write an entire novel in one month. Like, seriously, that’s 50,000 words in 30 days. How is that even possible?

Fast forward to 2023, I’m working on my capstone project for my masters degree in English and Creative Writing where the final submission is 15,000 words into a novel manuscript paired with a publication plan. The idea of writing so many words in only a few weeks is definitely less daunting than it was six-ish years ago because here I am, participating in NaNoWriMo and attempting the same feat.

What I’ve learned since beginning my capstone/manuscript a few weeks ago, is that the end goal really isn’t the word count. It’s about making progress – even if they are baby steps – toward a completed novel. Getting into the habit of writing on a regular basis is the most difficult aspect of being a budding author. You’d think that if something has been a lifetime goal (#authorlife), that alone would be the incentive needed for me to put in the effort. First off, mighty bold of you to assume. And secondly, unfortunately, a combination of ADHD, procrastination, and a laundry list of terrible excuses has stood between me and a writing career. Until now.

One of my favorite excuses used to be that I don’t have time. And after this list of daily responsibilities, you’ll probably wonder where I find the time. Even as a single-mother of a type 1 diabetic, who works a full time job as a high school English teacher, who runs a journalism club, who is attending online classes to earn her masters degree, who pays all the bills, and takes care of pets and mothers and friends and more. But what’s important IS that I still find time. Like most overworked parents, it’s usually after my son goes to bed or on the weekends when the house is finally quiet.

The real life lesson here is that you have to keep chipping away at it. Write a little – or a lot – in bursts. A good fifteen minutes of creative flow can really do wonders for a manuscript. Every major accomplishment is going to seem huge when you are starting from scratch and imagining the finished product. But just like Rome, manuscripts aren’t built in a day. It takes a constant commitment to action and setting realistic routines for yourself in order to be successful. So, write for a few minutes a day and stop when your brain stalls. Go for a walk when the words don’t flow on to the page. Have a snack or call a friend. But then, come back to it. But, whatever you do, just don’t ghost your dreams.