I participated in Camp Nanowrimo in both April and July this year. This was the first year I decided to join Camp, and I used it to push myself to finish two WIPs I had simmering. Well, it’s been three months since April’s Camp, and almost a week since I finished Camp in July and here I am with an update. As I said, I’m a slacker. Don’t believe me? Take a look at this graph!
This is my July Camp Nanowrimo word count graph and is typical of what my Nanowrimo graphs look like. I used to call it my “come from behind” strategy, but now… slacking is the only excuse I can offer. Writer’s block? Slacking. Interruption and taking unnecessarily long to get back to work? Slacking. Doing literally anything else when it’s supposed to be my carved-out writing time? Slacking.
But somehow I made it. I didn’t quite make the word count goal I had set for myself. But I finished the first drafts of both WIPs. So, I consider that a win!
And I’ve been thinking about this word “slacker.” Procrastination has a bad rep, for sure. And I’m not saying that I condone it, really. In general, I think if there are things to be done, then do them already.
But also, it is okay to give yourself some slack.
Is your project taking longer than you would like? Does it need to sit on the back burner for a while? Do you need to leave it alone and look at it again with fresh eyes? All of these things are okay. It is okay to take your time. Sometimes good things take more time.
I started writing as a kid, and worked on project after unfinished project. Eventually I came to a point where I was given the advice to choose a story and finish it. This advice has helped me greatly! But I think all those unfinished stories helped shape my writing into what it is now. And who knows? I may someday revisit all those characters I created and give them some good stories.
And I’ll probably continue to be a slacker.