Just a quick post today on keeping motivated.
During NaNo, I noticed on Twitter, Facebook, and writing blogs that there were writers who mentioned that they’d gotten frustrated with NaNo and stopped participating.
Many times, they mentioned that they felt like they’d fallen behind everyone else—and couldn’t catch up.
Every day is a fresh start—not a chance to catch up. Just a chance to meet that day’s writing goal.
If I get behind on my goal and tried to catch up on that day plus write my usual amount, I’m going to try putting off my writing time. Because it’s double my usual writing goal.
Unless I’m really under a deadline crunch (not a personal deadline, but a publisher one), then I’ve made a rule for myself that I don’t play catch-up.
I’m just picking up where I left off and meeting my goal for that day. Any other day is over and done with. Somehow, for me, it’s easier to pick it all back up again after I’ve told myself that.
I can only imagine the writers who felt like they needed to write 2,000 words a day for NaNo—and then missed a couple of days. They were trying to write 6,000 words to catch up.
I know we’re right up on the holidays and that’s another time where it’s easy to miss daily goals.
If you do, consider just forgetting about those lost days and, whenever you’re able to get back to the writing, just pick up where you left off.
Do you ever get that “left-behind” feeling? How do you respond to it?
And please join me tomorrow for Enid Wilson’s guest post, “Choose Your Own Mystery.”
Elizabeth – I like your attitude! I often feel that “falling behind” anxiety because my “day job” doesn’t allow for the amounts of writing time that I’d like. But as you say, each step closer is a positive step. There are days when I’m happy to write just one sentence. It’s not much, but it does help to alleviate the “I am never going to catch up” blues.
Things often intervene, even when it would appear I have no ‘other’ responsibilities. Living where we do, almost any errands, etc., turn into half a day. That’s when I feel behind–not from the writing, but because I’m tired and seem to be in ‘house stuff’ mode.
But, then, not being on a deadline, I forgive myself and move on. I’m in ‘competition’ only with myself.
Terry
Terry’s Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
Excellent points, Elizabeth. I think we sometimes put out a lot of negative energy by comparing ourselves all the time. I once commented to a friend that I wished I was more like her and she stopped me cold. She told me there is nobody else in the world with the talents and personality and characteristics of Maryann, and I should celebrate that instead of wanting to be someone else. What a terrific gift that was.
Very sane advice, Elizabeth. I shall have to try to quiet my ‘guilt monster’ and concentrate on the task at hand and remember every step forward IS a step forward. Better a baby step forward and just standing and looking behind you.
Great way of thinking, Elizabeth! I have daily and weekly goals, so I only feel bad if I don’t meet them. I don’t compare my output to anyone else because everyone’s day is so different.
Usually I don’t feel like I’ve fallen behind in my writing. I just regret not writing that day, but the next day is a clean slate to start over with.
Excellent advice, Elizabeth. It’s so easy to get frustrated and then give up. Once you do that, you may never pick it up again – or it may take months before you do.
Forgive yourself and keep moving forward.
I think this is really great advice–there is no way to get the time back, and you’re right that when goals keep adding, then it becomes overwhelming and hard to do ANYTHING!
I think it’s also important to be FLEXIBLE. I had a calendar for my LEGACY edits, but I just got back my Cozy feedback and that takes priority, so I need to allow a few days off to do THAT and then rewrite my LEGACY schedule… just how it goes. I will get more done in the long run if I am willing to change plans when it is called for.
I struggle with the “catching-up” on almost everything from writing to housework. It’s hard not to TRY to catch the writing up when you have a set goal needed (that also equals pay), but you are correct – you can’t actually catch the work up and really it is best just to start again and not try to make it a “do-over.”
I feel this way often. But I just need to be thankful for what I’ve accomplished and realize I will get there eventually.
It’s tempting to feel depressed when we slip behind, but that usually means we just give up. Excellent advice, Elizabeth.
Margot–Even a few sentences means we’re moving the story along. :) We definitely don’t have to try to catch up by writing a ton.
Laura–I think a weekly goal is a great idea!
Terry–Everything is close to me here in the Charlotte area, but because traffic is so bad here, errands take forever. And you’re right–they have to be done, but they take so much time and can be so draining! That’s one of those things that tends to pop up and take over my writing time.
Jeffrey–You’re probably a lot more productive than most writers, with that tactic!
Helen–Well put! We can just forgive ourselves for going off-track and just pick it back up. We don’t need to put ourselves through guilt trips.
Hart–It’s just a disabling feeling for me–thinking that I have a lot of catch-up work to do.
Flexibility is tough for me–it’s something I’ve had to develop with my writing because I’m not ordinarily a flexible person…I’m one of those people who freaks out when my schedule changes. But with writing? It’s so much better to be flexible.
Sushiboofay–Exactly. I write better when I’m not looking at it as a chore…my mindset has a lot to do with my productivity and how I write that day.
Stephen–And you’ve accomplished a lot!
Maryann–Exactly! It’s so hard not to compare ourselves to others (and I feel that temptation every day), but it’s so much healthier for ourselves if we don’t.
Diane–And then it gets to be one of those chores we don’t want to do!
Elspeth–We moms are good at guilt! We just have to ignore it. :)
Thank you for this, which I think is really important. When I was writing my thesis, I would get so incredibly discouraged if I missed a day, or didn’t work enough, that it really got me down and affected my work, and it was only when I realised that I had to throw off the bad days and start fresh each day that anything got done.
If I have a hard deadline and miss a day or two, I make a point of spreading the amount of work that needs to be made up over the entire amount of time left, instead of trying to make it up in one day. If I have a prolific day and catch up that way, fine, but I make the new goal as close to the old one as possible so it doesn’t become a punishment. This works well for things like NaNoWriMo because it can mean just an extra hundred words a day, instead of doubling your output.
Elizabeth: THANK YOU for this post. I’ve been struggling lately with feeling like I’ve “fallen behind” on my writing project, even though I’ve been sick and there was no way I could keep the pace for a while. Thanks for the reminder that those days are past (thank goodness) and I need focus only on today, which is much more doable.
Juliette–I think it’s really important to shake off that guilt that comes with not hitting our wordcount goals. Tomorrow is another day! :)
Kit–That’s a good way to fit the writing in. Thanks for the tip, Kit!
Lynn–Honestly, I think the harder we beat ourselves up over not being able to write, or missing our goals, the fewer words we end up writing–because we don’t want to have to write like crazy to try to play catch-up. Hope you’re feeling better! What’s over is over. :)
I completed NaNo – slow but sure. I’d fall behind a couple hundred words. Next day I’d break even. Next I’d get ahead. I just didn’t stop writing. Actually, I never thought about quitting. Or losing!
I didn’t participate in the NaNo, because I write to have fun, not to be productive. What the Hell, effective production, that’s what I (try to) do at work. To me the NaNo appeared too much like a word factory.
Is Enid visiting tomorrow? Then I’ll be back, for sure. She always has some hot and cool stuff (that’s kind of antonyms, isn’t it)
And I just got to 805 words tonight, at my lazy speed. That’s the joy and fun of a hobby, to be lazy when I want to. Now I’m slowly building up conflict and tension, and I love it >:D
Cold As Heaven
Alex–You planned it *perfectly!* You had your second novel ready to write and you were motivated. It worked out great!
Cold As Heaven–Most of the time creativity isn’t a particularly efficient process, is it? I don’t want to sound like I’m anti-NaNo, because I’m not…as long as people don’t get turned OFF of writing because of the wordcount goals, etc. If they use NaNo for inspiration and as a motivator, then that’s a good thing. But there seemed to be so many folks who quit because they felt like they couldn’t keep up–that just made me sad.
Enid will be here tomorrow with a mystery-related post and a giveaway, too! So come visit. :)
805 isn’t lazy! I think that’s more than I got done today. :)
I just got to 1175 words. It’s almost 2 am and I’m going to work tomorrow morning. I have to stop now. Writing is just too fun sometimes. Good night, see you (and Enid) tomorrow >:)
Cold As Heaven
Cold as Heaven–Then you definitely out-worded me! Congrats on the great writing day…and thanks for coming back tomorrow. :)
Hi Elizabeth — I was left behind about six months ago and am just now slowly climbing out of the mess I made for myself. If I had tried to actually catch up on my writing goals, I’m afraid I’d be locked up somewhere by now. I’m starting fresh, with a cleaner schedule, and it feels just fine.
Wise words!
If writing turns into catching up with what you didn´t do yesterday, it will soon feel like a Sisyphus accomplishment. I have had two tough weeks where I have hardly written a line – if I had to catch up, I could spend the next month writing frantically. I just ´throw bad days away´, and the next time I sit down to write, I try to hit my own goal of 1,000 words.
Even with falling behind during the second week of NaNo, I wasn’t trying to make up all of it in one day, just some over the daily goal. It was stressing, but at the same time, forced me to stretch my writerly muscles the way a good trainer will push you to do more than you thought you could. I gave myself permission to not do it all in one day, which helped keep my stress to manageable proportions (most days). I didn’t crash until Thanksgiving week when travel plans fell through, and I didn’t have the empty house I was counting on. I gave up even trying for the remainder of the month. Now without the impetus of NaNo to push me, I have to go back to doing it myself. I’m lazy, and I know it, but I felt really good about what I learned last month, and I don’t intend to lose it completely.