WITH WOMEN IN MIND

I have been running workshops called, With Women In Mind, one saturday a month since July. The object of these days is to encourage women to get on with whatever it is that they are looking for in their lives. To give them confidence and a nudge in the right direction. I can’t do this without setting a good example myself and so it was that I set about writing a book in a month, see http://www.nanowrimo.org. It has been a big lesson in discipline, sticking to what I set out to do and not giving up. I am thousands of words behind on my goal but I have still got a few days to go and nothing in my diary for two whole days and so I must write for those two days, even though the sun is shining and the sea is calm, I must stay and write. Hence I am already procrastinating by choosing to stop and write this blog. I am allowing myself this on the understanding that I return to my book and there is no coffee until I have reached 30,000 words. My target is 60,000; nano recommend 50,000. Already I am arguing with me and myself and the computerised teacher. I have to aim higher in order to achieve the achievable. If I can do it, anyone can do it. I am doing this With Women In Mind, so many of you want to write a book. You can – in a month!

KEEPING UP THE MOMENTUM

Nanowrimo, in other words writing a book in a month. The first week was great I wrote with speed and enthusiasm, the second week I got an awful cold and had a family birthday and a weekend away. I am now into the third week and am 3,000 words behind schedule but I will make it up. The story line follows it’s path and is drawn from some of my own experiences and some that I think the protaginist may come across along the way.
The advice is to keep writing, don’t wallow in excuses, colds, birthdays, days out, keep writing. I have another project on the go and spent a day on that thus neglecting my nano. The advice book tells me there are no excuses, keep writing. I will keep writing and won’t think about the end product, the exercise is enough in itself. I could have set myself the task of losing a stone in a month or cycling around the county, it is discipline, focus and the satisfaction of knowing that you have finished the job. But like any job it requires hard work and as my mother used to say, ‘you only get out of it what you put in.’ Back to the writing………

GET STARTED

Writing the first chapter of my ‘novel in a month’ went quite well and then I stopped. I couldn’t move, I didn’t like it. The next day I carried on but the words were stunted and did not flow. I didn’t like it. I put it away and later in the day returned to my computer. I decided to start again this time I had a really good idea and went with it. The words poured out and I am enjoying the writing. I went straight to my computer this morning and wrote freely and without effort. I’m looking forward to my next spurt as I want to keep writing.
Of course, I realise that this is only day two and I am still fired up, I’m so worried about losing the plot that I want to finish the novel whilst it is still with me and I am enthusiastic. I don’t want to lose the spark, so to speak. Getting started is the hardest thing. Knowing what you want to do and how to do it followed by committing yourself. And so it goes on but believe me doing nothing is doing nothing those first two attempts got me going. Get going on whatever it is that you want to do – the rest will follow.