And then this happened.

WInning

Sanity is a friend away.

The last couple of weeks I’ve flip-flopped between writing nothing and binge writing. I’ve hated my work and myself.

It has been hard.

I was nominated for the Liebster award by Olivia and I’ve been thinking about what I would write but I’ve been so wrapped up in my weird fantasy world that I’ve been unable to do anything else.

So, in the meantime, before I have a chance to do the award and pass it forward, I’ll mention some of the online people who have kept me sane (ish).

Aimee has a lot of talent. She has a knack for finding ways to talk about the things that we as mothers all feel but are too afraid to say. And she makes it funny. Oh, and she has a novel coming out soon.

Beth is down to Earth, well-read, opinonated in a good way and will always say what she means. Her writing is deeply twisted and powerful, so if you get a chance to read any of her fiction, snap it up. The characters she creates for her worlds are divine.

Stephanie has a way with words and writes beautiful poetry mainly focusing on motherhood. She has been recently published in an anthology and keeps an important community alive with her Virtual Open Mic Nights. She’s jumped into writing with both feet and her commitment and passion show in both her blog and her poetry.

Maddy writes about finding time to write around her children, and the intrusions life can have on your writing time. Despite this, she consistently produces touching poetry and involves her children in her creativity.

Sadie is currently working on the second draft of her novel and blogs about her exciting journey. Her writing is an excellent insight into the world of a writer who is pushing herself as hard as she can and giving her novel the best possible chance. Sadie always has encouraging words when you find yourself in a writerly muddle.

Michelle is working on her exciting novel. She’s a brilliant blogger and has a kind heart.

Francesca is a wonderful example of what you can do when you listen to your heart and go with the flow. She was a fellow NaNoWriMo-er back in November and has gone on to edit her book which she will be releasing into the wild very soon.

Community is so important when you’re writing. It’s somewhere you can go to keep you sinking too far into the pit of your character’s despair, a place to run to in moments of confidence failure and people who will give you honest feedback on your ideas.

Writers know what it’s like to feel a little bit mad a lot of the time and we all need someone to help us through the darker days.

Enthusiasm wanes

Look, it’s day five! We’re all still excited about our new darlings and the paths they’re taking.

Aren’t we?

What if (like me) you’re secretly not as thrilled with everything as you thought you would be?

What if real life already has its huge foot on your head ready to push you under the water?

What if your research for your career, a tummy bug and clinical depression have thrown you into some kind of mental tailspin and you’re struggling to find which way is up? (Might just be me!)

What happens then?

You’re already behind, your word count looks pathetic next to others in the community and you can’t see a way out.
What do you do then?

Well, realistically you have two choices – give up or write the flip out of your mutherflipping story.

Which one will it be?

Giving up seems easiest, doesn’t it? After all, you’ve made a start, and no one asked for more than that. The only one not winning (there is no such thing as losing in this game) is you. And if you’re really not in it, then stop. Simple. There’s no need for the extra pressure, there’s no need to put your life on hold and prioritise your imagination, especially if the only thing you’ll gain is another first draft festering on a hard drive somewhere.

But what about the time you spent planning and thinking about this before the challenge started. Think about the brain power you’ve already put into your characters. Think about the characters themselves and their journeys; journeys that will never be if you don’t keep going.

What if this story is The One?

How great will it feel to get that winner’s badge?

So, to you (and mostly to myself) I’m saying keep going, get up to speed, you’re not so far behind that you can’t catch up.

Let’s do this!