The Trendsetter

Oh for the Lord of Muse.

I know it is coming. I am on Chapter Seven now and it’s starting to go downhill. I’m trying to find each and any excuse imaginable to get away from writing my Nano—you name it— writing content for my blog, writing emails, youtubing, attacking the DH, etc. Yet, I have no choice but to flop into my seat and drag myself to write one more chapter. Remember, it’s only thirty days to write a 50k word novel in NanoWriMo. I am racing against time so I’d better write or die.

Gah! This is crazy yet somehow so far I’ve managed to eke out roughly 1,500 words per chapter. Then it falls apart as I am not as motivated as I was on the first day of Nanoing. I wonder why? It’s not like I’ve never written a novel before. I had just completed my manuscript, but unfortunately it was completed at the end of October when I was planning to join the National Novel Writing Month. So I think it must be writing fatigue that has set in.

And I’m not alone—first time or experienced writers—we all feel the same. There is time when you don’t love your writing anymore. Actually, you can’t force yourself to write if you’re not ready. I mean, it takes time to write and sometimes you need a day or two to take a break before returning to your muse. But if you participate for thirty consecutive days nanoing, you must write everyday—every single freaking day. And I trudge myself to write everyday. I was thinking of taking a break for a day, but I know myself too well. Once I stop writing, my muse is a goner. I detest playing catch-up because I will hate my writing even more.

So how do I manage to write everyday? Here is what I did:

1. I know my main character’s motivations. I know what they’re up to, so I’m curious if they ever obtain what they want. Will they achieve their goals? This keeps me going. So, what are your main characters up to? When you understand the motivation for each character, you can get to your muse with vigor.

2. I set a trap for my main character so she can’t easily reach her goal. What are the hurdles or obstacles your main character faces while pursuing their goal? Do you have any red herrings so your main character didn’t get what they want in say chapter two?

3. I already knew the characters well before I started writing Chapter One of my Nano. I was lucky that I completed my first manuscript. Since I and the DH were curious what happened to the heroine’s friend (the secondary character) I decided to write a sequel about her (for Nano). This saved me time to formulate a new plot—I just have to write from the secondary character’s point of view (which now becomes the main character). I purposely did this otherwise I would guarantee I would fail to write a single sentence if I started with a fresh plot for my Nano.

4. I keep a journal and do free writing whenever I start to get discouraged. This is great, especially if you get stuck in the middle of your plot. You can do a lot of back story development for your Nano as well since the only requirement is to reach the 50k word count at the end of November—50k is not that much, right?

5. I reward myself with books I am dying to read. I know it sounds so nerdy and geeky, but alas, hey if it works why not? Other than that, getting back to my normal self is the top priority.

6. I already outlined on 6″ X 3″ cards each chapter’s scene. This outline helps me to get focused on writing and even though the completed chapter had strayed from the original outline, the motivation of each main character is intact, and for me, that’s all that matters.

You probably have different ways of falling back in love with your muse. As long as it helps you to continue to write—go for it. I know the professional writers will roll their eyes because everybody knows it all comes down to one word—discipline. Early preparation is key to completing your 50k muse in thirty days. Even so, there is a time when you just don’t want to write and crave other things. This is one of them. However, as bad as it sounds, your desire to be a published writer evidently shows by your ability to write 50k or more words in just thirty days. And NanoWriMo is the best platform for you to do it.

Happy writing.