NaNoWriMo Check in 11-18-13 - Never The Same Way Again

I am a little more than halfway through my NaNoWriMo memoir, An Insignificant Life: 26,306 words towards the goal of 50,000.

It hasn't been an insignificant struggle.  thought it would be harder to write fiction (like I did last year) than a memoir. I was wrong.

First, there are the constant distractions.  The second week is always hard, but it has been a nonstop fight with distractions I did not have in writing fiction.   I keep wanting to fact check and, although I know that now is NOT the time to fact check, there I am doing it. 

Some of the fact checking has been fascinating, but, again, now is not the time for that.

I am mentally exhausted.  My memory has so many holes in it, it is like a piece of disintegrating lace. The "why" of "why should I examine my life" is slipping just beyond my reach, laughing in my face from a safe distance. 

I try to listen to the inner voice when it whispers "you need to write about this particular memory" but other times, I just think of my NaNoWriMo writing buddies who have completed their 50,000 words, and feel a little bit of envy. I shouldn't, and I know this isn't a competition against my buddies.  So I will need to find a way to remotivate myself.  Even if I have to start a new WIP, that counts against the total.

I will never read a memoir again in the same way.  Last year, I said the same thing about fiction works.  I haven't even done all the work that goes into a novel yet.  I have never put any of my WIPS (works in progress, but I might as well call them Whips) through even the first editing process.


Until last year, I never knew writing was so much work.  I am not even reading the NaNoWriMo pep talks or going into the forums right now.  If I wanted to distract myself, I should at least be doing that!

So, I am behind where I should be - on day 18 I should have had 30,000 words written. My spouse's cataract surgery, and the four day Thanksgiving weekend, are almost here.  Last November, I even got sick and couldn't write for a day or so.  If that happens this year, I am finished and not a winner.

I haven't depended much on past posts for this blog yet, which I was going to do.  So I must implement "Plan B".  Be prepared to read some of my early posts.   I hope you enjoy them.

Are you in NaNoWriMo? How are you doing?