Okay, so we haven't actually reached the halfway point of November yet, but I've officially passed the halfway mark for my NaNoWriMo goal! As of Nov 11, I've added 27K to my Depik Companion novel -- that's twenty-seven THOUSAND words. Most of them are even good words lol. I'm happy with my pace and not feeling any hints of burn out yet. I've joked before that I'm more of a draft horse than a sprinter. I can plod along with a steady 1K a day and still maintain my day job, my parenting duties (as I type this one of my kids just shrieked mooooooom from the playroom), and my endless household chores list. Also friends and a life, because not everything is about writing LOL. For the insanity that is NaNoWriMo (write a novel or at least 50K in the month of November), I'm shooting for 2K a day. I've had a few days that topped 3K, and one day that was barely over 1K (my birthday), but all in all I'm doing great.
But there's no denying that normal writing goals can put a lot of stress on us. And then there's November where we collectively and WILLINGLY lose our collective minds and reach for something a little harder. So how do we avoid burnout?
For me, it's all about self care! Okay, self care, and realistic goals. Okay, okay, fine. Self care, realistic goals, and the occasional slap upside the head to remind myself that I was the one who set the goal and there are no real consequences if I miss the mark. Self care can be different for everyone, but it boils down to get off your butt and step away from the laptop! Even if it's just for a few minutes to flip over the laundry, separate the squabbling kids, or do some pushups. We joke about chaining ourselves to our keyboards, but in reality that's unrealistic and unhealthy. We need fresh air, fresh experiences, fresh FOOD. It turns out you can't just live off caffeine and chocolate. Who knew? Setting realistic goals is another good technique. It's okay to go into NaNoWriMo and shoot for the stars. But sometimes we need to adjust our goals for on a myriad of reasons. Life gets in the way. So do adorable monsters masquerading as children. . . who are currently demanding a trip to the playground.
So shoot for the stars, but don't let yourself burn out along the way. As for me? I've got to go to the playground. The words can wait for tonight. . . when I bribe the kids with video games LOL. Until next week, folks!
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