Stop and Smell the Roses

Stop and smell the roses?! But, but, but… That’s exactly the opposite of what everyone has been telling you to do, right? Pep-talks, articles, blog posts, all push you to write on and on. Some of you breeze through the daily quota quite easily while others struggle to reach the goal. Whichever the case, “keep writing, keep writing” is all you hear.

However, sometimes you reach a breaking point and that’s the most dangerous moment of your NaNoWriMo. That’s exactly when you feel tempted to simply give up.

The daily word goal is challenging. Your schedule is merciless, and so are your responsibilities with the house, the job, the kids, doctor’s appointments, that volunteer work you committed to months ago and you completely forgot about… oh, and then it’s your turn to take the kids and their friends to the cinema, not to mention your concern about the cat who is strangely quiet and wise enough to keep a safe distance from you during the month of November. Panic sets in and flirting with the idea of giving up is somewhat reassuring.

Well, stop it!

We won’t let you give up that easily. So, here’s what you’re going to do.

*Take a day off from writing (one day!);

*Find a sim that fits your writing genre (no favorite sims landmarked? Second Life’s® Destination Guide might be a good place to start);

*If you don’t feel like spending time looking for a place, explore Milk Wood (there are plenty of hidden gems waiting to be discovered);

*Observe and listen;

*Pay attention to details;

*Ask “what if…” questions;

*Imagine your character visiting the sim. Tell him to take an object from that location and include it in the story. Make it something totally out of the ordinary, something he would never choose. Push your character beyond the comfortable limits of his pre-designed existence;

*Take plenty of notes for future reference.

Then, go back to writing!