On Not Always Letting Things Prevent Me from Writing

But accepting that sometimes, it happens. Oh, and NaNoWriMo.

a few glimpses of my weekend

So sorry, dear readers, I know this week’s newsletter is late. My husband and I were away this weekend with our synagogue at a retreat in the woods, which was lovely and restorative and relaxing, and though I don’t usually wait until the last minute to write this newsletter, I guess time got away from me.

Sound familiar? Time slipping away, with the intent and desire to write, but suddenly, days pass, maybe a whole week, and you never sat down to work on the words?

I understand, obviously. We all fall prey to this. Because even when we want something desperately, when the calling courses through bones and blood, we don’t always listen.

Why is that?

In this article from Psychology Today, the writer asserts that actually, we do everything because we want to - so how do we make sense of choosing, say, to do the dishes at the expense of writing time? Does it mean we want a clean kitchen more than we want words on the page?

It goes really deep, my friends. Yes, we want to write, but maybe we want something else more? Security? Stability? To be liked? An easier outcome? To not face fear of the unknown or potential rejection?

The article insists that we have the results in our sights when we choose to do (or not do) something. I think we choose the known - I know my kitchen will be clean after I do the dishes. It’s easy and straightforward and I know I’ll be happy then. But I don’t know what will happen if I sit down to write. Will I finish a story? Write the whole book or poop out before I finish? Will it be wasted time? Will an agent, editor, publisher take me on or will everyone reject me and the writing won’t have been worth my time?

This is November, which is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. It’s a concerted effort to write 50K words in one month. Sound crazy? Maybe not! Because the research suggests that we go for the results. Perhaps specifying a word count, and setting up a plan to get there is all that needs to happen to get us writing.

On the website for NaNoWriMo, the first words say: Every story matters.

That’s what this is all about. Believing in your worth, your value, your talent as a writer. Belief will carry you all the way.

I just finished editing and revising my next novel. It topped out at 87K words. Yippee!! I took the whole month of February to plot the novel. I started writing in March and by May, I had a really messy first draft. I printed it out, read it and marked up the pages (slashed whole paragraphs is more like it). I used my writing sabbatical in Nova Scotia to eke out a revision. This is (I hope) the final version before publication. I believed I could write a good novel, so I did. It’s that easy.

one of my writing-in-a-cafe days in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

It doesn’t have to take long to write a complete work. It’s all mindset. Priority. Believing in yourself. Believing that your voice matters. Believing you have a story to tell that people will want to read.

Because it’s all true. So get writing.

In fact…

There are some FREE ways to write with me through the end of this year!! This Saturday, November 11th, is my next Writealong. Add your name to the email list at this link and we’ll see you at 11 a.m. ET on Zoom this weekend for writing in community. There is also another Writealong before year-end on Sunday, December 3 at 11 a.m. ET.

And, I host a Holiday Virtual Reading every year, where you can share some of your beautiful writing or just show up to hold space for your writing friends. This year, it’s on December 16th. Sign up for a 5-minute slot here.

And…I am now accepting applicants for my 2024 Writers Retreats!! The Mackinac Island Find Your Voice writers retreat will take place September 9-13, 2024. Join the wait list here.

If you want to see the majestic redwood trees in northern California and write in those inspiring forests, consider joining me October 20-24, 2024 for Write in the Redwoods. Details here. Or email me directly to apply for a spot.

Whatever you do, just write. You’ll never get there if you don’t try. I believe in you!!

With love, Lynne

P.S. Congrats to paid subscriber Bonnie Jess Lopane for winning the October book giveaway! Louise Penny’s Bury Your Dead will be in the mail to you soon.