Ouch. That hit close to home.

This article about Writer's Self-Sabotage really hit close to home. I've been musing over whether or not to attempt year three of Nanowrimo, and part of the whole difficulty is that I've done it for two years in the past and as a result I have two 50,000 word novels unedited and sitting there. Part of me really feels that I should edit them first (one part being my wife :)).

But I never seem to do it, and part of that is due to number one:

"1. You always put off writing until tomorrow, when you have more time, don't have a headache, have made up with your spouse, your computer stops making that weird grinding noise, you can get a whiteboard for your mind maps..."

 

Some of the others apply, but that's the big one.

Heather Goldsmith thinks I should go ahead with the Nanowrimo--it's fun, it has momentum, and those books can be edited any old time.

So which is it? Is it procrastinating to avoid the editing in search of the spiffy new story that would pour from my fingers? Or is it cowardly to avoid the Nanowrimo challenge and stick with the safe already-created work?

One possible solution is to challenge myself to BLOG 50,000 words in a month. I've got four active blogs now; 350 words in each per day and I'd have no problem making my goal.

Blogowrimo? Or am I polyliterous?

Comments

[Heather]

Thanks for the great article link. Well, all I can say now, is you know yourself best. You have to make a choice. Though, I kind of like the challenge to blog 50,000 words in November! ;-)

[Heidi Miller]

It sounds like you WANT to write something new, but I'd say either edit the old book or have someone else do it. Otherwise, you'll end up with drawers full of brilliant manuscripts that no one ever reads.