This has been the quote going through my mind all weekend long.
Already on Day Two of NaNoWriMo, I found myself struggling. The words were coming slow, I was writing in fits and starts. I realized I was too hung up on the sequence of events in the story. I was stuck trying to write the story in order. I started kicking myself for not putting an outline to paper like I had planned. Sure, I had the first several scenes laid out in my mind, but my planning never got much further than that. If only I had done that outline, I thought, I’d be in much better shape.
Then I remembered: “Don’t get it right, get it written.”
This is only a first draft – a shitty first draft. I don’t have to get it right the first time through, I can always go back later and move scenes around or add scenes. It’s okay to write the story out of order. Once I gave myself permission to write whatever scene I wanted rather than trying to stick to a timeline, the words came easier. I finally got into a writing flow mid-afternoon and ended up with 2,436 at the end of the day.
I kept telling myself, “Just get it written,” and surpassed 6,000 words on Day Three. I was able to write over 5,000 words this weekend and am a full day ahead of schedule (I’m thrilled to have even just a little cushion going into the work week!)
The lesson is, sometimes we have to get out of our own way in order to get the words on the page.
I still want to sit down and put together a more detailed outline, but I have given myself permission to write it any order necessary!
What is your NaNoWriMo mantra that’s getting you through? Let’s hear them!
Words Written Today: 2,583
Total Words Written: 6,764
Words Left to Go: 43,236
Percent Complete: 14%
I’ll be sharing my progress throughout November! Subscribe to my blog for NaNo updates and follow me on Twitter @iamJenniferK for helpful hints and inspiring quotes in 140 characters or less!
Great job, Jennifer. Keep it up. Me…I’ve got about 1,000 words so far and hope to add serious wordage later tonight and tomorrow. I’ve been working to finish my outline, too, before I go guns blazing into this thing.
Another good one from Nora Roberts: “I can fix a bad page. I can’t fix a blank one.”
Yes! So true. Thanks for sharing!
Pingback: The Power of Stories | The Republic of Jakakistan