Nano and the dreaded Week Two

Total Nano Word Count= 16,718
Nano Goal For Day 11= 1700
Words So Far= 0

So, the second week of Nano is here. Actually, it came a bit more quickly than I thought. And there is something I noticed right off the bat. Firstly, it is much harder to get my words that I need and second, I am pretty sure I have found the Week Two blues. Don't get me wrong, I love my novel. I think it's one of the best ideas I have had so far. Problem is I've gotten to the "murky middle", you know, that place a lot of writers like to give up? I've gotten myself in this deep hole and I have no idea how to get out. It's a little scary. However. I had an amazing writing day yesterday that gave me the courage to continue, even through this rough bit. I know that if I can get through this week, I can win this thing. Already I am farther on this project than I am on my other WIP, farther along in this than I have ever been in a project in about ten years.

I think Nano should be my new secret weapon, accept I don't want to use this crazy word count goal once a year, I want to use it for every project. I was afraid that by doing Nano I would wreck my book, but I see that it has helped me so much more than I could ever think possible. The secret to finishing a first draft is simply one thing. You tell yourself you are allowed to write bad stuff and make it shine on the revision. That's it. So many people give up because they want their first draft to be perfect. I am done saying that. Now I will tell myself that I can do this. I can finish this.

To anyone out there reading my blog while also taking part in Nano I have only this to say: Don't let Week Two get you down, don't let it defeat you. Keep going. Keep writing. Because the feeling we will get when we finish will be unlike any other experience.

Well, I'm off to write!