Day 1 — A Slowish Start

Word Count — 1,039 words

Total Completion Percentage* — 3%

Friday nights are hard, usually because I’m dead tired from the work week. Also, I’ve been fighting off...something. But “Fighting Off Something: I Think I’m Getting Sick Again” could be the title of my autobiography, so whatever!

Anyway, progress was slow, but it was made. Some scenes are easy to write. They pop into your head already half formed, and all you need to do is fill in the blanks. Tonight’s scene is not like that. I should really learn to block these sorts of things out a bit better, instead of flying by the seat of my pants, but frankly that’s boring.

Not doing things because they are boring is something I need to work on if I’m going to grow as a writer. Sometimes, writing is just work, and you just need to fucking do it and get it over with. Sighing with a dainty hand draped across your sallow, fevered brow lamenting the departure of your Muse is a bullshit way of saying you don’t feel like doing whatever, and I suspect was an excuse invented by writers who would rather be doing opium/absinthe/whores than actually working.

Also made the mistake today of looking back at what I’ve been writing. That’s a sand trap, and make no mistake! Memo to self; don’t look back unless necessary until the first draft is complete, for the sake of your already tenuous grasp on sanity.

I need to increase my productivity if I’m going to hit my goal. Perhaps a more flushed-out outline will help with that?

That’s all for tonight. Thanks for reading.

*Assuming the NaNoWriMo goal of 50,000 words.

Tonight’s writing was brought to you by the following music:

• God Speed You! Black Emperor. (1999). Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada [MP3]. Toronto: The Gas Station.
• Darren Krob. (2011). Bastion Original Soundtrack [MP3].