Checkpoint: End of Week One

I forget, each year, how tiring NaNoWriMo really is.

Then again, most years I’m not doing two novels at once.

Today is my first day that I’ve sat down at the keyboard, looked at the computer screen, and said, “nooooo I don’t want to write.” I just got home from a visit back with my parents in my hometown. I’m full of food and exhausted and all I want to do is curl up and sleep in my nice bed with my fluffy new down comforter. That’s all I want.

I try to justify it. “I’m doing well on my word count! I have a write-in tomorrow; I’ll be able to catch up no problem from one day! It’ll totally be okay.” I encourage others to write. I work on this blog post. I do anything else.

But then I look at my region chat room on Skype. I see people pounding out 3000 words today to catch up.

I message a fellow ML, who tells me she’s written 2700 words today, despite not wanting to do anything at all.

And I look up on my wall, where a very silly picture of author C.S. Houghton resides, in his leafy headdress from Hallowe’en, and I know that I’ve been an inspiration to him. I’ve been pushing him, and the rest of my region, right along this whole time.

I can’t stop now…! Not when I’m actually where I need to be! Don’t take tomorrow to catch up – use it to jump further ahead!

It’s tough, being an ML. It’s hard, writing when all you want to do is sleep. But I made a commitment. I have a promise to my region, to my friends and family… I have a commitment to that author up on my wall. I have to write these books. I have to do the same thing I encourage them to do.

So no more blog post. Yes, I’m tired. But I can take an hour and get some words down. And then I can sleep.

So thanks, C. You’re still my best inspiration. I won’t let you down.

-Rion