For the second year in a row, I am totally sucking at NaNoWriMo! It’s pretty frustrating, to be honest, as I want to write this story–or at least I thought I did. I’ve been wondering, lately, about what kind of stories I really want to tell.

In truth, 2018 has been kind of sucky (well, yes) but creatively-speaking, as well. Personally, I’ve moved countries (for hopefully the last time for a while!) and landed in the beautiful Oxford, but setting myself up here took most of the summer. Basically, between the release of MAGE OF INCONVENIENCE and RED BETWEEN THE LINES is like… A lot of packing and silent screams. And very few words indeed.

So, I’d hoped NaNoWriMo would cleanse the mental palette. Uh… It hasn’t worked quite like that. But! I think there’s light at the end of this long and drafty (It’s A Pun) tunnel. This ‘non-writing’ experience has made me question what it was about my completed stories that drove me to the end of a first draft, and to consider the common themes they share, and my motivations in writing them at all. We often think about the motivations of characters but not necessarily ourselves, and that’s valuable knowledge to have!

But it can be difficult to take time out of writing to think about writing. It feels like shirking one’s duties. For me, I consider it the same way as following a gym program–rest days are just as important to the process as the days you lift. In a world where you’re advised to Write Every Day, I think days not writing hold equal weight.

So that’s what I’m doing. Thinking and cheerleading and not-writing. No pressure, 2019, but I’m expecting great things from you.

To everyone mid-NaNoWriMo: YOU’RE DOING GREAT ILU