I’ve been sucking it up in the writing department.
I wish that I could say I had done any of the following:
– Wrote a 200,000 word novel after consuming too many energy drinks
– Traveled to Europe
– Ate 5 wheelbarrows full of jelly donuts
– Started a band
– Cast as Optimus Prime in the next Transformers movie
Unfortunately, the list looks more like this:
– Played Bejeweled
– Traveled for work
– Watched NFL games for entire days
– Stressed about my NFL Fantasy Team for entire weeks
– Ate 5 wheelbarrows full of jelly donuts
I’ve written myself multiple times in bouts of motivation to overcome procrastination in my life….
“There is plenty of time each day to get EVERYTHING done, as long as you do not procrastinate and remain diligent”
“HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW FOR YOUR TIME”
“DON’T WASTE TIME ON THINGS THAT YOU WILL HAVE NOTHING TO SHOW FOR UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THAT WILL SHOW UP”
“YOU SUCK”
_________
Oh, there’s been times of ultra-productivity. But they are too few and too far between; short lived rebellions on King Procrastination’s throne.
What makes me most mad is that I know when I put my mind to something, I end up rocking it, whether work, home or school related.
My mind just happens to be like an incredibly fat child being asked to perform wind sprints, whose trainer is easily distracted and bribed with compromises and promises.
“I promise I’ll write, just after I check my email. And other blogs. And my fantasy team. And….”
“It’s okay that I didn’t write today because I went to the gym. Yeah… that makes sense”
“Hmm.. that sucks. I actually sat down to write but I didn’t have a bowl of candy and a drink and the perfect music and a comfy chair and a back massage and complete, utter stillness and silence around me.”
Well, no longer.
I’m firing the trainer and sending my lazy ass mind to bootcamp, and it goes by the name of NaNoWriMo.
The reason I am putting this out there is at this point I have a few followers, and suprisingly enough they aren’t all my mom. The book, called “No Plot? No Problem!”, mentions that a perfect way to motivate yourself in this adventure is to be held accountable by multiple peoples. Well, nothing better than fellow writers to encourage/ridicule me.
So my task to you, if you have been lured into following my blog, is to hold me to the NaNoWriMo fire for the month of November.
For that month, my blog will function more like a journal and DAILY, I am going to provide updates as to my progress. Some days—fine— most days it will be brief. But I will at the very least give the word count and on-track-ness.
If you are also undertaking the challenge of NaNoWriMo, let me know in the comments and I will do my best to cheer you on (I already know about you Aiden). Also, feel free to recommend punishments for failing to complete the task. Nothing more motivating than fear and embarrassment.
Peter Monaco 
I will be doing NaNoWriMo this year as well! This is my first time actually participating. It will certainly be interesting. I am already planning ahead of time so that I will be ready by November 1st. I will be sure to check out your blog during November to check out your progress! 🙂
I will do the same for you! Good luck… I’ve attempted it once before and I lasted about half a day due to poor planning so it sounds like you are already ahead of the game.
The other day I went to your blog because I hadn’t gotten an update recently, then I found the same post as last time. I was sad! So take heart, your blog is seen and loved; your audience likes to hear from you, no matter what it’s about. I’m pretty sure procrastination plagues everyone on the face of…America. Except those who are like super humans or something. But anyways, you’ve challenged me to do the NaNoWriMo….that’s a huge commitment! Lol
Yes indeed it is. In fact, I have already thought more than once about retracting my statement about doing it but I guess now thats its published, I’m in the books.
And thank you for your kind words about my blog. It’s good to know other enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.
I’m guessing jelly is another word for jam.. rather than actual jelly because I don’t think that would taste very nice! mmm doughnuts! Ok, sorry got distracted! Good luck for NaNo! 🙂 Beth
I am quite sure they are jelly… Although I should clarify that it is not petroleum jelly or a jelly fish or something. Just good ole raspberry jelly.
Ah… so yes Jam… phew! Jelly would be weird… or I think it’s sometimes called Jell-o? sugary and wibbly!
Ah, I see. Jell-o and Jelly are very different things. A Jell-o donut would induce vomiting. Jelly induces pleasure.
Haha! Yes I don’t think I’d like a Jell-O doughnut either! Ergh!
Oh, c’mon, is it that hard to think of a punishment for failing to keep up with NaNoWriMo? A complete dearth of jelly doughnuts, of course (I’m firmly convinced, by the way, that if you spelled them the original–and correct–way, “doughnuts,” you’d not only work off a few more calories and have to go to the gym less, but they would cease to entice you so much! Spelling the word “donuts” is just asking for slothly and gluttonous trouble!).
Abstaining from jelly donuts would work for about 3 hours. It will have to be something less tied to my willpower.
Not sure if I’m doing NaNo yet… but good luck to you, sir!
Haha, I was just dropping by to throw my name in and I’ve already been mentioned! *sniff* I almost feel famous. 😉 We’ll have to do our best to cheer each other on, eh? I totally agree with shadowoperator, no more jelly donuts (my British English mind is screaming jam doughnuts 😉 ) if you fail. Or you could buy them and then watch them be slowly consumed by your wife and daughter only. MUHAHAHAHA! (Need to work on that evil laugh.)
Yes we will. In fact my Nanowrimo adventure was inspired by yours so if you fail, it will be like losing Optimus Prime. So don’t do that. And as for the punishment, I am stronger than my wife so that experiment wouldn’t last very long before I pounced and retrieved my precious.
I’m also trying to decide if I’m going to use NaNo to give me a kick in the pants this year. My current manuscript is coming along at an absolutely glacial pace, and I want a first draft finished by the end of the year. Since there’s just something special about the “NaNo atmosphere” that happens every year, I’m thinking it might be just what I need to get me out of my rut.
At any rate, good luck to you, and if I do end up joining the NaNo craze, I will let you know!
Please do! My draft is going at a similar pace so I’m hoping this instills in me a habit of writing no matter what.
I would really like to instill that habit, as well. I’ve heard that if you can do something consistently for 3 weeks, it becomes a regular habit…and I would love to do that with writing. (And exercise)
Amen to that!
Well, as we talked about it, the more I realized I’m pretty sure I’d like to participate this year. So I’ve resurrected my account, which apparently is almost ten years old. (Didn’t realize I’d been flirting with NaNo for so long.) Feel free to add me if you’d like, my username there is Kurichan. 🙂 And good luck to us both!
Here’s a quote that haunts my nightmares and kicks my butt:
“You can’t say, I won’t write today because that excuse will extend into several days, then several months, then… you are not a writer anymore, just someone who dreams about being a writer.” Dorothy C. Fontana
Again, the first thing my slothful mind thinks of is “Well, that’s okay… I’ll just be a writer tomorrow….”
You see what I have to work with here?
I can unleash crueler quotes if you like…
I did NaNo last year for the first time and met the goal! So now I’m stoked to do it again this year. I’m a ‘seat-of-the-pants’ writer so just have a general idea of what to write about. Before NaNo, I was a short story writer and didn’t think I could write a whole novel, but I proved to myself that I can, even if it still isn’t finished. 😦 But all in good time. I’m writing something completely different this year, but still historical fiction, because I love doing research. 🙂 So good luck to all of you participating this year, and if you want a buddy, look me up – I’m rainbear.
Wow, it sounds like a huge challenge, but good for you for trying it! I wish you luck.
The comments on this post were as good as the post itself! So many writers! Can I work on nonfiction for NaNoWriMo? I’ve always used my preference for nonfiction (translation: fiction phobia) as an excuse to avoid the monumental commitment that so many embrace each November. Accountability is excellent. I promise to throw rotten tomatoes at you for any and all shortcomings. Don’t forget that it has to all be perfect, that way you’ll never get anywhere…
You bet you can do non-fiction, so there goes that excuse. And I hope you have a lot of rotten tomatoes…. You might have to spend all of November just throwing them at me.
Well, crap. At least my rotten tomatoes are in no short supply, as we grow them for a living, along with other things which are also now rotten mostly and can also be thrown, with the possible exception of some of the pumpkins, as they are rather large. Very well, then, I shall join in. Le Sigh.
As I have been doing NaNoWriMo 4 times over the last 6 years (succeeding twice.. the first year I tried I was too busy dancing and being 16 to put the proper effort in, and the last time I realised cramming for 4 exams, finishing one home exam and two obligatory essays, attending lectures, part-time job, evening meetings and weekend seminars left too little time for imagination and actual writing..), I have learnt that punishments are not the way to go. Instead – rewards! Positive reinforcement. Such as.. Yes, you can eat that chocolate – but not until you’ve written 300 words. Or, yes you can play xbox for half an hour – but first you have to write 1000 words. Or (and this proved to be the most effective) you have to write 500 words between every time you check up on facebook… Aanywhoo… Haven’t decided whether or not to give it a go this year. I do have a story craving my attention, but I also have a baby craving the same.. I’ll probably decide at around midnight on October 31, as I always do. Good luck!
Have you decided yet? 🙂
Indeed I have. It appears I am and will always be a NaNo-whore, and so I’m giving it a shot this year as well ;P