The Relaxed Writer

3 Reasons NOT to NaNoWriMo

This article first appeared in the October 2011 issue of my monthly ezine, The Relaxed Writer.

I'm posting it here with the encouragement of Jordan Rosenfeld, author, editor, fiction writer and writing coach, who emailed me with great comments before sharing this thought with her Twitter followers:

@Jordanrosenfeld: Would love to encourage all writers to subscribe to your e-letter, @MarlaBeck!! It's magic. 

I appreciate the good words, Jordan.  Relaxed Writers, I hope you'll find this article useful, too.  -MB

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3 Reasons Writers Should Say NO to NaNoWriMo

Considering drafting your new novel next month?  

November 1 marks the start of National Novel Writer's Month (NaNoWriMo), and many writers around the world--over 200,000 last year-- are preparing to challenge their creativity and endurance.

NaNoWriMo offers many benefits to writers:  community support, new writing friends, accountability, encouragement…and most of all, a very specific and time-limited writing goal.  After all, it's much easier to stay committed to your writing when you know others are making the same choices you are to forego family fun for writing.

But NaNoWriMo isn't the right writing structure for everyone. Read on for 3 reasons NaNoWriMo may NOT be right for you.

1.  Is This Your REAL Writing Goal Right Now?

A specific, time-limited goal is absolutely key to getting the most out of your writing intensive.  But what if "drafting a new novel in 30 days" isn't your goal, exactly?   Your life is short, my friend.   If you have a work-in-progress, would it make more sense to complete your draft or polish an existing manuscript instead?

Think It Through:  If you choose to “NaNoWriMo,” ask yourself if a new, rough draft of a novel is the goal that serves your writing career best.

2.  Set Up for Stress

NaNoWriMo was founded in 1999 by 20-something writer, Chris Baty.  He started the challenge because he and his friends wanted to get more writing done after they came home from work.

When I coach men and women in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond--mothers, managers, professionals, executives, fathers--who've chosen to do NaNoWriMo, they often feel discouraged, frustrated or upset with themselves for not being able to complete the writing challenge.  If you have significant family or job ties, NaNoWriMo wasn't really designed for you!  Your writing goals may be much better served by choosing a different  structure.

Think It Through:  If you find it too difficult to fit yourself into the artificial structure of NaNoWriMo, stop straining and find another alternative that suits you better.

3.  Short-Term Imbalance, Long-Term Effects

As a life coach for writers, I'm trained to help you pay attention and honor your writing in the context of your whole life.  The writers I've coached who choose to "NaNoWriMo" have -- surprise! -- typically experienced quite an imbalanced month in November. 

I know that short-term balance is often necessary if we're to complete a big writing project. But the timing of NaNoWriMo is tricky. 

Baty founded NaNoWriMo in November because the weather’s typically rather rotten here in San Francisco in November. But for many writers, NaNoWriMo pits their relationships and home life against their creative work.  And the NaNoWriMo novelists I've coached typically take weeks to recoup their verve and energy come December.  In my opinion, a state of exhaustion is no way to start the season of gratitude, generosity and the promise of a new start in January.

Think It Through:  Before you commit to a month-long intensive, ask yourself if your diminished holiday season/beginning-of-the-new-year energy is a worthy trade-off. 

NaNo Alternatives

Participating in NaNoWriMo is a huge commitment of creativity, time and energy.  If you're going for the challenge, I’m rooting for you! But before you say "YES," please make sure this is the right time and writing structure for you.

NaNoWriMo offers structure, community and a fantastically clear goal.  But it's not the only way to get your writing done. 

• My Two Days to Write™ intensives offer accountability, goal-setting and support without committing all of November to your project.

• Camp NaNoWriMo lets you take the novel-writing challenge during the summer--an easier time, for many folks.

If participating in this year's NaNo doesn't feel quite right to you, take a little time to explore what writing structure might serve you best.  You owe it to yourself to do so.

And your writing career will thank you.

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Ask the Writing Coach: Should I Take My Computer on Vacation?

photo credit:  Marla Beck

Catherine, a freelance writer, asks, "I leave town for two weeks tomorrow and I'm debating:  should I pack the laptop?  How do I decide if I should take my computer on vacation?"

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You're not alone, Catherine. Many writers have asked me this same question, most of them expecting to hear a clear and "life-coachy" directive: 

"Of course not!  Leave the computer at home."

Alas, it's not so simple. There's no one-size-fits-all "take the computer or not" answer for everyone. As you decide what's right for you, today I offer you a few case studies to consider-- real-life examples from my coaching practice. 

Just Say No.  (Ronnie's Opportunity)

Meet Ronnie.

In the past two months, Ronnie's made major strides in creating clear boundaries between his freelancing work and his personal life. He says he's much happier and energized about his work these days. He feels like he has more control over his time, too.  When Ronnie's working, he's really working.   When he's not, he's completely off-duty -- no laptop in sight.  Ronnie reports that his partner really appreciates his newfound ability to be more present when he's at home, and he loves the newfound peace-of-mind he's found.

But Ronnie's vacation last month posed an interesting opportunity: would he stick to his new habits and dare to be truly offline while vacationing...for an entire week?  Or would he tuck his laptop in his luggage, just to check in?

I challenged Ronnie to honor his own time boundaries. I dared him to leave the computer at home.

Choosing a computer-free vacation required Ronnie to work a bit harder before he left town. His decision also required Ronnie to act on faith.  He had to trust that he'd "done enough" before leaving town.  He had to trust that new assignments and opportunities would be readily available to him once he returned.  

When Ronnie returned to his writing desk a week later, he was slightly more tanned and chock full of  new story ideas. "I left my computer behind...I did it!" he told me during our next coaching call.  He sounded pleased.

Ronnie left his work at home, and by traveling laptop-free, he'd taken a courageous stand to respect his own time and boundaries. 

"I wouldn't have done it any other way," he said.

 Don't Leave Home Without It. (Kelly's Opportunity)

Kelly's situation was a bit different.  A writer and busy mom, she used our coaching structure to help her  create the extra time she needed to develop a long-term book project. She gained momentum quickly and loved her work.  Until late May, that is.  This year, the end-of-school-year hustle derailed her writing progress for an entire three weeks.

A few weeks after the schoolyear ended, Kelly readied her family for a two-week vacation. "I should leave the laptop at home, right?  And not work on the book?" she asked.  She seemed hesitant.  A tiny bit guilty.

Kelly was working on an independent project she loved.  In her case, traveling with some of her research and her laptop was an act of self-care.  It took courage for her to admit that, "for me, writing is 'resting.'  I'm a writer and I love my work!"   But she did it.

Kelly returned from her vacation quite pleased.  She packed her laptop and didn't work on the book every day -- she wasn't expecting herself to in the first place.  She did manage to move her project forward though, and by investing just a few joyful and productive hours in her project, she regained much of the momentum she'd lost at the end of the school year.  Better yet, she felt great!

If you're like Kelly, I encourage you to own your own version of what it means to rest and relax.  Don't just blindly accept society's definitions.  If you find that working on your independent writing project is restorative and joyful, go for it.  Pack your laptop and enjoy some no-pressure writing sessions. 

Allow yourself to be true to you, regardless of how well you match social expectations.

Keep It Simple. (Melissa's Opportunity)

This week Melissa, a hard-working freelancer in the midst of an exciting career breakthrough, mentioned her well-deserved vaction during our call.  "We leave tomorrow morning," she said, "and I'm trying to decide if I need to take the laptop..."

"Here we go," I thought.

Remember that in Ronnie's case, saying no was an act of courage and integrity?

Remember that in Kelly's case, saying yes was an act of courage and integrity?

Well, Melissa's case was a bit different. Melissa's decision wasn't about taking a stand or owning her true nature. She just needed to think through a few logistics:  did she really need her laptop? 

After thinking things through carefully, Melissa realized that she needed access to much less info than she'd first thought. If the art department called her cellphone with a truly urgent caption question (her worst-case scenario), she realized she needed to be able to access her Dropbox, not her entire hard drive. 

She planned to upload a few documents to the cloud this afternoon. 

When she boards the plane tomorrow, Melissa will be travelling light:  no laptop.  No paperwork. No anxiety.  She's well-prepared to respond, if needed.

What'll It Be?  (Here's Your Opportunity)

So...what'll it be?  Did you relate to any of the writers I highlighted in today's post?  

As you pack your bags and decide for yourself whether the laptop stays or goes, I hope you'll also take a moment to make this simple decision: "I'm going to have a great trip."

Tuck a clear intention in your pocket and do everything you can to leave town feeling happy and relaxed.

Laptop or not, I hope you enjoy your vacation, Catherine.  If you write for a living, I've no doubt that you deserve it!

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P.S. - About Today's Photo...

I took the picture above while visiting Mt. Lassen last week with my family.

If you'd like to see a few more snaps from our trip through Northern California and Oregon, I'm posting a few more pics over on my Facebook Fan Page.  Click here to check 'em out and join us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writing Your Novel - When to Quit, When to Finish? (Ask Coach Marla)

Writers: want to see your biggest, burning-est time management, life balance or how-to-get-out-of-my-own-way question featured in an upcoming Ask Coach Marla post?

Join my Facebook Fan Page and post your question to my Wall.  If I choose yours, I'll feature your name, your question and a just-for-you answer right here on The Relaxed Writer.

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Question:

"How do you tell whether you should just move on to something else? I have three partly written novels, but I'm not sure any of them are worth my time." 

--Carolyn Cordon

Answer:

Three partly written novels?  Sounds like you're suffering no lack of creativity, Carolyn!

Before you can get clear about which writing project to pursue, you first need to get really honest with yourself. You need to explore two important questions:

1.  Why you're writing in the first place. 

• Because you find writing fun in-and-of-itself? 
• To learn the craft? 
• To get published?  Make a buck (or more)? 

2. Why you quit.

Keeping your motivations in mind, take a look at each manuscript. You need to ask yourself:

• Did I quit because I ran into a technical problem I just couldn't solve?
• Did I quit because I'm not sure  this story really should be written as a novel?
• Did I quit because the storyline bored me?
• Did I quit because I got bored with the writing process itself? 
• Or, honestly, did I quit because I got scared of actually finishing?

Many writers I've coached find that finally finishing an important writing project is incredibly empowering.  I can't suggest this enough:  after you explore your answers to the above questions, choose one of your manuscripts and decide to realize it fully.  See it through to the end. 

As you work, remember that this first novel need not necessarily be your last.  Allow yourself to learn all you can about your craft.  Allow yourself to learn all you can about your ways of working, too.  If you're mindful, you'll discover your own "most effective ways" to get started, power through and finish each writing session.  The fruits of your labor will be with you throughout your writing career.

How about you? Got an unfinished manuscript (or two) in the drawer?  What's been stopping you from finishing?

image credit: JessicaMullen (Flickr.com)

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