Writing Monkey on My Back

Hi Mrs. B,

It's been a long week. I'm sorry I've been so quiet. February never seems to be as easy as I hope it will be. Somewhere between Groundhog Day and the end of the month I just get lost. Goals and plans fall apart and I'm left wondering just what the Hades happened.

For example, the plan I had to write a note to you on Tuesday.

And here we are Saturday night.

But, it's not just the blog.

I had this crazy idea I'd also work on what I was calling a "MiniNaNo" -- well, a friend of mine was calling it that. I don't know if we've talked about it before, but I'm a big fan of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November. I've been doing it the last five years, but I report mostly under another name. But that's another story for another time.

Anyway, I thought, February is a short month, I'll do a short NaNo. Finish up a story I need done and out of my head. 


Easy Peasy.

I forgot a few of the cardinal rules of NaNo that are part of what makes NaNo ... well, NaNo. First and foremost, it's only new work. This -- and I'm tentatively calling it "Red"  -- is not. I've been nibbling away at this story since January of last year, although I haven't done much of anything on it since just before last November, since I don't want to break rule 1 at NaNo, it's usually something fresh. Second, when I NaNo, it's typically a community thing. I have people to talk with, commiserate with, to encourage and encourage me. This is decidedly more solitary (and, trust me, I'm feeling lonely).

There's also something that really encourages me by egging on the geek in me: watching the graphs go up.

So, I'm not sure how to encourage myself to get a move on, because I really need to get it done, but all I've been able to do is start putting into the document some of the notes I wrote myself here and there in October. I haven't done any new work, trying to get Red back into my head. It doesn't help that I've been way too tired to get cracking at night this month. (Darn you, Winter!!)

Part of me knows what you'd say. "Stop procrastinating, Angle. And writing me a long letter about how you can't write is procrastinating." But, I also know you'd offer me advice. I just don't know what your advice might be. Which is why I *am* writing you.

How do I get this writing monkey off my back? How do I shake off the midwinter doldrums?

Any suggestions?

Best
--as always--
-Odd



PS: I am keeping up on my reading, I just don't have much to report at the moment. Hopefully, I'll get back to you soon. -OA