We won't even go into the fact I never started NanoWriMo last year.
What I have done however, is set more realistic goals for myself.
I try to write a least once a week. I try to write a minimum of 100 words. You might be saying "Gee - that isn't a lot." I suppose it isn't, but for me, I know that is an achievable target, even in a bad week when my kids take 95% of my spare time. The writing isn't just on my story either. ANY writing is good writing, so whether it is my family blog or my story ... or even here, as neglected as this poor blog is, if I am writing 100 words, I am achieving a goal. Obviously I would like to keep the word count climbing on my story though, preferably with reasonable prose and not waffle.
I've also re-invented how I manage my writing project. Before, I had the plot listed by numerous events and key ideas. Now, I've broken the storyline up into around 20 major events and mapped them out on a piece of paper so I can always refer back and know where the story is going, watch the rhythm of ups and downs, and make sure the story has a beginning, middle and end. It also helps me find the holes in the plots I need to work/write on. I'm not writing to edit at the moment. My goal is simple. To finish the story - and have the story make sense to me. Only then will I worry about editing it to make sense to everyone else.
While I would like to one day be published, I don't live the delusions of grandeur. We put pressure on ourselves, and others around us apply pressure when we reach for such a hefty achievement. That isn't helpful to any writer and can end up being a burden when people put expectations on us. At the moment I am learning to walk. I am refining my craft and learning to write. Maybe one day I will be ready to run.
Until then, I keep plodding along one step at a time, hopefully avoiding a few puddles along the way.
