There is a book inside of me.
In fact, I have always had the feeling that there are quite a few books inside me. The problem is, somewhere between my high school writing enthusiasm, and joining the “real” adult world I lost trust in my writing skills.
I found that trust again while working for “The Electric Playground” as a freelance, and then staff writer, and entered a period of writing productivity that resulted in many published articles and one published short story. Unfortunately, the real world struck again, I got busy “making a living” and lost my way as a writer once again.
The coaching mindset
A lot has changed for me in 2009, most of it centered around my training as a professional coach. I have been learning about creating and living my dreams, and developing strategies to create supportive environments that are helping me to be successful.
As a coach I know that I can do anything as long as I set my mind to it, make sure it is actionable, and find the resources and supports that I need to be successful. This shift towards achieving my dreams has been life altering, and my perspective on my world is now constantly improving.
The writing mindset
My new coaching mindset has resulted in a return to the idea of not only writing, but being a writer. To succeed in this move back into a writing lifestyle I have filled my life with various support environments:
1. Macbook: I write on the computer and my old PC laptop was cumbersome, hot, and difficult to work on. My Macbook was a big investment, but it was an investment in an environment that has made writing enjoyable again. Totally worth it.
2. Blogging: Sunday Night Success has been the most important writing environment I have created. Setting a post schedule and sticking to that schedule (with a hiccup here and there) has quickly put me back into the writing mindset.
3. Reading: to help me return to my writing ways I have started reading books on the creative process and writing. Reading this material helps support me in developing the writing habits that are crucial to my success as a writer.
4. NaNoWriMo
I have done an excellent job of supporting myself in writing nonfiction, but I still wasn’t moving forward with getting all of those books out of my head. Then I stumbled upon NaNoWriMo.
National Novel Writing Month presents a challenge to all hopeful novelists who are stuck with getting started: write 50,000 words in the month of November. Write an entire novel, or at least get a healthy start, in one month. Just let it all out.
Accepting the challenge and being accountable
I have accepted the NaNoWriMo challenge and started writing my 50,000 words on November 1st. I am already behind schedule (1667 words a day) by a few thousands words, but I plan on catching up.
NaNoWriMo has now become a new support environment in my life that will hopefully help pull me towards my long time goal of writing one or more novels. However, I don’t think the NaNoWriMo challenge is enough, so I will be using Sunday Night Success to help me stay accountable to this challenge. Keep an eye on the top right of the sidebar for my updates on words written. Hopefully you will watch it approach and then break the 50,000 word mark by November 30th.
Are you ready to move out of your comfort zone and into you danger zone?
What goal or challenge have you been avoiding because you don’t have the right support environments in place?
What is one environment you could make today that would help support you in being successful?
You go Jeremy!
Most important is that you are sticking with your challenge. And you do. Looking forward to your updates.
Judit
P.S. I am so behind with writing on NaNoWriMo,but still keeping hope alive that I will be finish with 50000 words.
You can do it Judit!
Right now I have just promised myself that I will write for at least 30 minutes a day. When I say write I mean write: no going back and reading, no editing, no worrying that what I am writing is complete garbage. I am just letting it all come out.
Which is very different from my normal writing process so it has been interesting. My characters have changed and gone in different directions and I have just let it happen. It is fun writing this way, although I dread ever going back and actually reading/editing it all. I know some of my characters have spoken or done things in earlier sections that no longer make sense now because they have morphed.
If and when I go to the next step with this it is going to be a long process. But, the point right now is just to write.
Good luck!
Jeremie
[...] think completing 50000 words in November emptied my brain of words. I just don’t think I had any writing left in me this week. I made [...]