July Camp NaNo Update: Week 1

Week one has flown by, except for the health issues which feel like they’ve dragged on forever already. (Meant to post this yesterday but apparently even that was asking too much…)

I’m still riding the high of the new project eagerness, these characters are writing themselves as far as I’m concerned. I thought through enough of their different mindsets that I can just write, which I love. It’s always better when it just flows, rather than having to stop and wonder, would they do that? My first segment was submitted Monday morning, so I guess I’ll find out if I’m just overly proud of myself when I hear back. (For those that didn’t see my Camp Liftoff post, I’m ghostwriting this novel for a client, so what matters will be their opinion of the work I’ve done, not just my own.)

Health

Marginally better than last update, I guess. I’m used to migraines eating a couple days easily, but I don’t normally find myself dragged down to the point of non-functionality by fibromyalgia. It took me a solid week from the point I realized I had to stop and focus on recovery instead of “pushing through it” the way I usually do until I got caught up with things I was already committed to before NaNo started. And that’s with full awareness that I still haven’t done a couple things which I knew I could put off a bit longer in favor of my novel and/or my paycheck, depending on how you look at it.

Sleep… is apparently for other people. Primary goal for the coming week is getting decent sleep more than three nights of seven. Here’s hoping.

Happiness

As much trouble as this week has been, at the same time I’m feeling pretty good about it. I turned in my first ten thousand words early, which is good. I got very positive feedback, so I’m feeling great about it. I’m mostly caught up with non-NaNo tasks, and despite Honey (my cat) nagging me while I’m trying to focus the last couple days… it’s going pretty well.

Honey makes me smile. Even if it’s because she is always hoping I’ll feed her a bit earlier, she’s still sweet about it. And even if I have to push her away so I can concentrate sometimes, it’s only for half an hour or an hour. Then I can go sit in my armchair and invite her to come sit on my lap and pet her for ten minutes. It’s relaxing, and while it may not be the perfect antidote for isolation in the time of the coronavirus, it’s keeping my spirits up. Between her and the friends I communicate with online on a daily basis, I’m not feeling as much strain as I think others I’ve spoken with are. I am stressed, the world is coming apart at the seams. But I’m not raging at the four walls of my apartment-prison, either.

I also want to give a shout-out to my friends on RPG Crossing‘s unofficial Discord server. You all make me laugh, often when I most need it. Thank you! I don’t care how dumb some of those memes are, or how much I might wince, anything that actually makes me laugh aloud is worth it, and you all are awesome.

Best Moment This Week

Getting positive feedback from my client. It doesn’t matter how long I’ve been writing, how competent I feel I am, positive feedback is always going to make my day. I think the state of the world has made even minor anxieties more prominent, and that definitely includes my inner editor bashing my work. Rationally I know I’m a good writer, but it doesn’t always feel like it. So thank you, should you ever stumble across this blog. I appreciate it.

Worst Moment This Week

Crashing physically and emotionally with such poor sleep and the various aches and pains that increase in severity cyclically with poor sleep, more pain, even less sleep, and so on. There have definitely been some times I had to unplug and try to relax. Apparently, my recent daily plan that included a lot of productivity in shorter bursts on both sides of a midday siesta – lying down to try and dial back the tension headache and any stress I’ve built up – is effective, because not getting it yesterday made my evening unravel quickly with the increase in my headache.

As usual, I’m loving the 4thewords NaNo event (gamification of writing, slaying monsters with word count), and if anyone is on the fence about trying 4tw, definitely do! I find it pushes me to write more consistently and at more length than I ever have been able to do without it, to the point I’m willing to spend money on the subscription even on fixed income (which I still consider pretty fixed, even with freelancing starting to become an honorable mention). For that matter, use my referral code if you do, it’ll get us both a little bonus when you subscribe: KSQZP52502.

For everyone in the heat wave already hitting areas like Toronto, I can only sympathize at a distance, but I hope you stay cool and limit any brain-melting effects of too much heat.

Cheers,
~Marie