Today is the first day of November which means it's time for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo... www.nanowrimo.com).
It also means that 1 year ago, I wrote the first words to what is now 'CROSSING THE DEEP'.
It has been a long year lol
I have a great story in mind for this year. Lots of twists and turns. Unknown characters. Who to trust? What's going on... Ahhhhh! moments. I really love the story, in my head.
And I'll love to get it down on paper as well...
But...
there is something that is holding me back.
Now, I've been through Nano. I know how time consuming it is to write a book, edit, query, worry, stress, sign a contract, edit again, edit again, edit again, market, tweet, blog tour... and I know how hard it is when it doesn't sell like you'd hope. I mean, it's not bad, but first time authors (I think) might set the bar too high.
That leads me to the issue today. I have 3 kids, a full time teaching job, a husband (who honestly has been kinda lonely the past year), a house that doesn't care if Mama wants to write, bills to remember, supper to cook, dishes to wash... etc, etc, etc, excuses, excuses (but good ones, mind you). I'm trying to justify in my head (and honestly to my family) how another year of all of this is worth it in the long run.
How do you do it? How do you justify all of the work for a book that might not even be published or if it is? How do you ask your family to 'bear with you for one more year' to follow your dream when it could be hurting them?
I wish I had answers. I wish I could just write the perfect novel the first time (hahaha). I wish I could just get these self-doubt feelings banished forever (but I understand that is the life of a writer).
Ideas? Thoughts? Slaps upside my head?
Like I said... GAME ON!!!! :) (for now)
~Kelly