Checking In: October 2023
Finding relevance in a crazy little thing called NaNoWriMo
It's hard to grasp that October arrived and then slipped away so quickly. At the end of the month when I sit down to check in with you, I have high hopes for the next 30 days–I’m always positive that I’ll have lots to write about and buckets of motivation to keep me going. But before I can catch my breath, the month comes to a close with only a check-in letter (and sometimes that’s late—like now).
I do have a lot of ideas and snippets of essays here and there that I began writing because I feel I have words to share. But then, fraught with feelings of being irrelevant, I don’t.
For a while after changing the name of this space to Life on Peoples Court, I was jazzed up and inspired and motivated. I had finally found the common thread that ran through all my writing, and that was reflected in the perfect name. Per usual, though, my drive faded away and that age-old question–Why?–again started spinning through my thoughts.
Instead of allowing myself to simply enjoy this process, I tell myself that if I don’t—at the very least—send you a check-in update every month, you’ll forget about me and I will forget the importance of writing to write more. I ask myself for the bazillionth time if writing is really worth it. But that causes me to examine where the writing comes from—deep within me in a burning place of relevance—and I know I cannot stop writing forever, because it would kill me. I’m not sure if I mean that figuratively or literally, but I’m willing to accept that neither is what I want.
Although once my best month to write, October’s motivation started an early hibernation and left me a little empty this year. It’s kinda been that way for a few years as I face the autumn of my life and struggle to grasp connections and meaning and—again—relevance.
But November follows October, and that means National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, has arrived. With the flip of the calendar page, I once again make plans like I have every year since 2008 to participate in the frenzy of writing 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. In all those years, I’ve only succeeded once—11 years ago—and I also finished the sister contest, Camp NaNoWriMo, in April 2013.
I love the process of just letting my fingers speed along before the editor in my head has a chance to catch up. It’s exhilarating asking, “What if?”—not knowing what is coming next until my fingers tap, tap, tap out the words. I get so excited waiting to see what shows up on the page. And when you break down that massive 50,000-word goal—it’s only 1,667 words per day—the idea of finishing a novel in 30 days doesn’t seem so big.
NaNoWriMo is one of the most creatively fulfilling exercises, and even though I have a lack of bandwidth this year, I’ve committed to giving this year’s 50,000 words a try. It’s Day 4 and I’m at 2,405 words, but a couple of binge-writing sessions this weekend will have me scaling that mountain like a pro.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
On the Road Again
So, you’re seeing this missive a few days late because I was off to a work conference in Louisville, Kentucky, this week, which was my second trip in two weeks—the other to Detroit, Michigan.
I love to travel, especially when I can learn about emerging technologies and network with professionals in my field, but I’m always ready to be home. Now that my final trip this year is done, I’m looking forward to a few months with no place to go—for work, anyway.
I’m forever an observer of people, and conferences are a great place to study the human condition, like watching the person who is so bubbly in virtual meetings, almost to the point of annoyance, who wears exhaustion when she thinks no one is watching. That’s when “Why?” starts spinning a story, filling in the blanks for all the questions I won’t ask.
But if I do—if I take that moment of time that costs me nothing—and ask just a simple question, like, “Are you looking forward to being home?”—I learn the truth, get a glimpse of the person’s life and soul, and maybe offer a kindness that says, “I care,” “I am listening,” “I see you.”
The most important thing we can do for another person is see them, hear them, appreciate them, just as we want for ourselves. Kindness matters and costs nothing.
Books I Read in October
What are you reading? Please share, because I’m always looking for recommendations!
Good luck with your novel!! Currently reading look closer by David Ellis. So far it’s weird