Can I even do this?
Today is day 2 of NaNoWriMo.
Maybe you struggled getting the necessary word count yesterday (1,667 words, btw.). Maybe, like me, you didn’t even make it that far. Maybe you already doubt you can do it again because it was so hard.
Maybe you think that what you wrote is all terrible.
Maybe you are already doubting that you’re a writer.
This is how you fail NaNoWriMo on day 2.
And it’s totally unnecessary.
You see, the truth is, one day isn’t enough to find out if you’re a writer or not, especially during NaNoWriMo.
One day isn’t enough to know that what you wrote is bad.
So I’m asking you to step back for a moment and stop worrying about word count and plot and characters.
Take a deep breath.
Let it all go.
Breathe.
And breathe some more.
And then remember… what made you join NaNoWriMo?
If you’re at least a bit like me, it was the thrill. The excitement of creating a new story. The knowledge that you are doing this together with millions of people all over the world.
Telling a story.
That urge is probably deep inside you.
Problem is, maybe you think you know very little about story telling. Or you believe you do.
And that isn’t true.
You know stories.
You have been listening to stories since you were a little kid. You watched them on TV every day. You read books. You inhaled stories every day of your life, one way or the other.
That means that deep inside, you know how stories work. You have a sense for them.
Allow that sense to fill you. That deep knowledge.
Add that urge to tell stories. To paint tales with words. That writer part of yourself.
And there you go. Now you can write.
You have permission to write, and to be a writer.
And if you still don’t believe it, here’s some tapping to help you.
Tapping phrases
Even though I fear I can’t do this NaNoWriMo thing, after trying so hard on Day 1, I’m totally okay the way I am, and I choose to remember that NaNoWriMo has 30 days to do this thing.
Even though I feel that I can’t be a writer after all, if I fail on Day 1, I’m totally okay the way I am, and I now forgive myself, pick myself up and get back to writing.
Even though this whole thing feels terrible, and I think I can never be a writer, I’m totally okay the way I am, and I now choose to know that this is something to practice by doing it again and again and again.
Asking you:
How are you doing on NaNoWriMo?
What’s your biggest fear as a writer?
What happened while you were tapping?
And finally – what’s your NaNoWriMo project?
Please share in a comment.
Image Source: F. Moebius
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