It's that time of the year again. (link)
Since my days at school have been made up of class period after class period of “work” days on computers, I think I might actually manage halfway this year. Halfway’s been my goal in the past, mostly because I’ve got a job and school and when it gets right down to it, I write like a snail. That’s less than a thousand words a day, which seems manageable, except when you consider I probably haven’t written a thousand words in the past year.
If this sort of thing interests you, and you feel like trying, go for it. At least try. You aren’t a failure if you only get 300 words out in the end. It’s a great, ambitious goal and it’s a nice way to inspire you to write. From past experience, though, there’s two good things to keep in mind. First, don’t write about something that’s sad. November will be the worst month of your life if you do. You have to be in the down mood to get words out, so you’re stuck either pushing yourself into that state every day, or stopping because you just can’t manage it. Also, write about something you feel passionate about, that you can relate to, and consider yourself the audience. Write what makes you happy. Don’t give a shit about Mary Sues or Gary Stus or dumb plotlines or overdone stories if that sort of thing is what you really want to write about. It’s not at all about writing to be published. It’s about writing for yourself.
