The Trials and Tribulations of Writing

                     

As many of my readers will know Novemenr is NaNoWriMo month, where all those writers who take part pledge to write 50,000 words over the month. Last year, 2012, I zipped through the words and emerged victorious at the other end, well before the deadline. This year, 2013, however, has been a totally different story.

I started well, the words were flowing and I was getting a great head start on my new novel. Then everything that could go wrong went wrong. There were days where, despite the fact I got up, my muse stayed firmly fast asleep in bed. Rather than flowing swiftly along on a river of words I felt like I was trudging on fly paper. This was an unusual feeling for me as I am used to being able to write with abandon. 

Add a pre booked weekend away and a rather unexpected hospital admission into the mix and you will get a general idea of where my month was going. The hospital admission and subsequent recovery meant more days where taken out of the writing equation. However, Looking on the bright side it did give me a lot of inspiration for my writing. The writer in me knows I can't let an opportunity pass to expand my knowledge and develop my skills. It also gave me a lot of thinking time which is often missing in my life. There were many other disasters and issues which got in the way of my writing but I won't go in to them here. These could be made into a novel and I don't want to give any plots away. 

The month culminated with a washing machine flooding the utility room which is at the end of my, fortunately, large office. The subsequent clean up operations and mending of said washing machine took up a great deal of writing time. However, the good news is, the month also culminated in my completing NaNoWriMo by the skin of my teeth amidst some degree of stress. 

What has this month taught me. Firstly it has taught me that No matter how hard I plan things will go wrong and this is out of my control. It has also taught me that despite everything I should keep writing. Putting one finger I front of the other on the keyboard is crucial. I've learned that sitting at a desk typing is not the only form of writing and sometimes I need to take time out to think. 

I've also learned that I need to go with the flow and the important thing is to keep writing when I can. Using up spare moments can often be as productive as sitting down for long swathes of time. The one thing I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, is that I now feel like a real writer. I've had the month from hell and still managed to come through at the other end victorious and determined to write. 

That' sit for this week Bookaholic's. Normal service will be resumed next time with another review of a great book.