Speaking of monkeys…

You go really deep and connect really large when you write, no matter what you’re writing about.
Natalie Goldberg

I wanted to mention to anyone who is writing that there is a podcast for Nano-writing-freaks that you should listen to, it’s called Nano Monkeys! Also got a NanoWriMo desktop background> that show November 2007 calendar, with the word count you should have written each day. I’m at 9000 tonight and should be at 10000 – but hey… who’s counting? ;-)

I also want to show a page that I made in my art journal, last week;

It’s about Nanowrimo, using a writing sticker I got with my Moleskine I think? I’m now at the monkey section of my altered book as you can see. I just can’t paint over these cuties (sorry Joanna, I really like monkeys), so I incorporate them in my collage and journaling!

Back to writing before I go bananas over here!

Oh, I need to share some more about my writing with you guys. Writing is a lonely task, but I know I have support out there.

It’s a mystery that I feel I’ve got nothing to write and still I will write… something. I’ve written for 6 days now and when I start I feel empty and when I stop I feel “never again”. I just want to crawl back under my duvet cover and read a good book that somebody else has composed and finished. A good love story where I don’t have to think at all. But I’ve promised my self to sit down and try each day and when I stare blank at my screen I let my hands start moving and I write the name of the girl, and then what she is doing or eating or where she is… And after that I move my hands for a while and it works! I’ll be damned but it works!

The fun thing is that this “contest” is not about what you write, if you write anything useful, good, interesting, beautiful or thrilling – it’s only about the word count of each day. How much did you write? And when it comes to reading it (later) nobody will care how many word your text is, only how good it is. Why is word count so important you might ask. I think I’m starting to understand it’s magic now. It’s about getting you to start and setting a daily goal. And not stopping until you’re done, even though it feels like you’re stuck in glue.

I keep writing until I don’t have to do it, then I stop. No mater how much flow I find, I stop when I’m allowed to. I write my words and then my lazy self kicks in and tells me to let the laptop go back to sleep again. It’s the force of the word count that gets me to sit down to write right now, and I’m thankful for that help. It’s what I’ve always needed.

I’ve never tried writing while feeling forced before and it is a very very cool concept. It’s about telling your inner critique adieu for a month and just keep on writing no matter how bad or strange (or totally empty) you feel. I kind of like it and hate it at the same time. I’m afraid to read what I’ve written but still I have to keep telling myself to keep going, and I will. I will.