Lizbeth Finn-Arnold

Day 26 -- National Novel Writing Month

Day 26th of NaNoWriMo -- I have now entered the Death Zone as I prepare for the final summit attempt...exhaustion has set in, the air is hard to breathe, and I'm wondering if it's even possible to go the distance at this point.

It's fear and doubt now that taunts me, creating resistance...and thus writer's block. The first 42000 words were nothing compared to the last 8000...It's because I'm running on fumes now, my thoughts cloudy, my judgment compromised, my commitment waning...there are too many distractions -- mainly Thanksgiving, chronic pain, and now that onset of a cold.

But I will continue to climb this mountain and see how far I can get. I may not make it to the top, but I am not prepared to turn back yet. Onward and upward, one step at a time, one word at a time.

When Characters Come Alive

I'm at the part of writing my novel where my main characters have reconnected and it's obvious they are still in love.  I'm rooting for these two crazy kids to work it out but there's so much baggage from the past, and so many reasons why they really shouldn't be together.

Yeah, I know their fates are in my hands, but the more these two people come to life on paper the less I actually feel I control the outcome. Each day I wake up sorta knowing where the plot needs to go, but I never really know how my characters are going to respond until they tell me.

YES, I hear them talking in my head. YES, I just sit back and write what they tell me. YES, I'd be considered crazy if I wasn't a writer. Or maybe being a writer of fiction is the same as being crazy.

Whatever, I need to get back to the story. I can't wait to see what these two crazy kids are going to do and say next.

A Time to Write

A writer who isn't writing is kind of like a kite without wind.  Sorta lifeless and pathetic. A kite is meant to fly. And a writer is meant to write. And a writer who IS writing kinda feels like a kite that's flying. I know, because I've flown a lot this past year.

But not lately. Frankly, I've barely written anything these past three months.  I've been distracted and occupied with other things, mainly moving, recurring health issues, and other pressing obligations.

That's all about to change. It's November, which means it's NaNoWriMo -- or National Novel Writing Month and I have hearby committed to commence writing my 2nd Novel as of today.

And so it begins...