I decided to quit NaNoWriMo early. Congratulations to all the admirable writers who wrote 50,000 words or more this month!
I was only able to set down a little over 35,000 - some of it "cheat" material, like over-lengthy descriptions and quoted passages - but I decided to stop pushing several days ago.
When I told my children this last night over dinner, at first they were dismayed. "No! You have to keep going! Why did you stop?"
"Well," I said, looking at their adorable faces, "if I hadn't, I'd be doing THAT instead of sitting here having soup with you after a great movie."
"Oh."
They smiled then, so I smiled too. "You're more important than NaNoWriMo. I have so much I want to do with you and Papa, especially with Advent here. I just can't write that fast AND do all the things I want to do with you and your dad, and do a good job at work, and cook dinner every day, and work on the music project I told you about, and practice oboe, et cetera, et cetera."
They chewed on that for a moment. Then my daughter asked, "Are you still gonna keep writing the book, though?"
"Sure. Why not?"
With that, both kids were content and went back happily to their soup. It's such a warm feeling, the love and concern of one's own children.
5 comments:
Good priorities. Continue to write, but if it's affecting your schedule, what's truly important to you, then put on a back burner for while. I don't post on my blog much right now for similar reasons. When I have time, or it suits, I write. Kudoes to the 35,000 words written as well.
So you quit writing your novel in order to be a better mother.
I'm amused. I suppose if it makes you feel better about not finishing you can say that. I can't see why it matters though.
For what it's worth you'd probably be a great mom regardless.
T-
You won just by participating. Congrats on writing so many words and balancing your life so well.
I'll keep following your BLOG 'cause you have some great things to say. And that soup looks AWESOME!
Bill
Bill - thanks for the encouragement. Wish I could take credit for the soup, but it's from Wikimedia Commons (the real soup was pretty good, though).
RAG - thanks! I've noticed my blog writing waxes and wanes depending on what's going on in my life too.
Anon - It doesn't seem that you read this post too carefully. I didn't quit writing my novel - what gave you that impression? In fact, just added a new character yesterday...
I don't read most blog posts very carefully. They are blogs not assignments.
I didn't think the comment was negative either, but you seemed to have taken it that way.
Good for you for keeping it up. My dad got to 85000 words in 1 week, but he is retired and uses the computer in order to avoid my mother. I think your way is far preferable.
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