As a writer, I am thankful to read about how other writers prepare, how they climb their mountains, some going so far as to share where they plant their flags. At risk of overusing this metaphor, I’ve learned some like Stephen King free hand it (pants it) while others like James Patterson bring enough gear to climb a mountain 10 times as high (plot it). Do I prefer one over another?

It’s been a hectic fall. And when things get hectic, at least lately, the first thing to be pushed aside is my writing. Sometimes, I just have to take care of myself. The hardest thing is having enough self-love to know pushing something that important to me (the writing) is understandable. I give Stephen King props to writing every single day. I would love to be like that…and perhaps I can get there.

Writing is an act of faith in tomorrow, but it can only be done today. In a word where satisfaction is tied to instant results (like likes, views, and shares on social media), no wonder many writers have trouble keeping going on their projects. Writing something like a novel is like waves hitting a rocky shore. At first, it’s rough and jagged, but eventually, the rocks become sand and there is a beautiful beach. We just assumed the beach has always been there, but time changes everything.

I’m trying to write more consistently. Like many writers, this is easier said than done. With many like myself saying no to NaNoWriMo, it’s more important than ever to impose self-deadlines whether it’s a 50,000 word rough draft or jump start in a month without using NaNoWriMo’s platform or a daily word count (or time if that’s your thing).

So, my plan is to have an accountability partner.

I was getting a story together or at least a goal ready for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). For those of you who don’t know, it’s an organization that challenges writers to write 50,000 words in a single month which happens to be November.

If you read the “What’s My Excuse?” blog article, you know I tried NaNoWriMo. It managed to get me on my way to write something, and they ask you to stay around, track your progress with their built in tracker, and join other writers...

When it comes to swimming, I’ve always been one to dip my toe into the water and ease myself in while everyone else was running into the lake or pool. I thought there was something wrong with me, and some other people probably thought the same. But there I was, easing myself in, first my feet, then up to my knee, and after about 3-5 minutes, I eventually plunged the rest of the way in. After that, I was swimming just like everyone else.

The imposter syndrome is real as I write these words. Here I am, unpublished and mostly unknown and I’m trying to share some advise on writing, but I’ve hit a block recently. So this is selfishly more for me than anyone else, but if this advice gleams your way and you can take something from it, I’ll consider it an additional success.

Tick-tock.