I stated in Entry #1 of this blog one very simple truth about myself: I'm not a writer. I play at it in November, and sometimes I think about scenes and ideas during the rest of the year. Thinking, for some reason, that I could translate my November enthusiasm to a year-long (broken down quarterly) challenge, I dove head-first into the ROW80 pool.
And smacked the bottom and drowned. (Proverbially, of course. It would be pretty difficult to be writing up a closing entry if I were dead.)
Kait Nolan has a wonderful idea: A challenge designed to fit writing into your life. The block I stumbled over is the fact that writing is a very low priority in mine. NaNoWriMo is the exception rather than the rule. It was clear to me that the primary reason I participate in NaNoWriMo is the social side of things rather than the writing.
Most of the people I encountered during ROW80 (thanks to the regular Linky provided) are actual, real writers who want to make some kind of career out of it. ROW80 is perfect for them. It makes them set their goals, gives them something solid to reach for, and helps keep them on task. If life gets in the way, it gives them the freedom to alter their goals to compensate. When life backs off again, they can adjust their goals further. (Let's face it -- unless you're a no-life slacker like me, you have unexpected things arise that totally screw with your plans. That's just how it goes.)
Well... none of that applies to me.
I'm not an actual, real writer who wants to make a career out of it. I don't have a life to get in the way of a writing challenge. I'm just... lazy.
So I failed. Hard.
In 80 days of the challenge, 58 of them had no writing. (42 of those were consecutive, and ran from February 10 through the end.) I hadn't intended to quit, but I just didn't write. I didn't feel like it, and there was nothing to lose by not doing so. I wasn't sabotaging a wanted career... and it's not like anything I'll write will ever see the light of day. (It's all a daydream, really.)
Again, I want to stress that the idea behind ROW80 is fantastic, and I would recommend it for anyone who wants to make writing a priority. I'm even contemplating coming back for Round 3... but for now, as of this moment, it's not for me. I'll be sitting out Round 2 but secretly cheering on all of you hoopy froods who are brave enough to do it again.
Thank you, Ms. Nolan, for putting together this challenge for writers. I hope everyone who participates reaches their goals and achieves their dreams.
Check the Blog Hop to see how everyone else did in Round 1.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts...hopefully you will achieve whatever goals you make....
ReplyDeleteLook forward to seeing you in 3rd round
ReplyDeleteThanks for the cheers, and thanks for sharing your ROW80 experience. Maybe the "hard and fast" of NaNoWriNo works better for you than the "set you own pace" of ROW80. And perhaps we'll see you in Round 3- you could have other, non-writing goals . .
ReplyDeleteYou know, this was not a failure for you, when you really think about it, even though you called it that. Think of it this way: you came to recognize that the life of a working writer isn't a good fit for you right now. Do you know how many people can be honest enough with themselves to admit that? Not many. Consider that a mark of growth... and don't consider it a forever verdict, either. There may be a day, somewhere down the line, where you change your mind and your desire grows. In the meantime... congrats on gaining a personal insight that some never reach!
ReplyDeleteThat was an extremely well written post for someone who doesn't think of himself as a writer...hint, hint... ;)
ReplyDeleteHee hee, I like being called a hoopy frood [g] Maybe you could apply the challenge to something else - like reading? Or a hobby? But hey, you wrote at least half the 80 days! Bet there are some good ideas in there...
ReplyDelete