Today we started NaNoWriMo and DrawMo. It’s also the start of National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo, of course). I’ve wanted to blog more, as many a blogger does, and this seems the right occasion. Plus I plan to update you daily on my progress on the other challenges, so this is kind of a gimme.
I started this blog years and years ago, and back at the start I used to write not one post a day, but many. Now I feel proud to post more than once a week.
It’s not that writing has become harder, per se, but that I’ve begun to put too much weight on it — that I fret internally that each post must be well-constructed, entertaining, worthy of note.
I thought for a while that the reason I’m having trouble is that I’m now self-employed, and every minute I spend blogging is one I’m not spending working with clients or getting new clients.
But recently I’ve been Twittering, and I find that I’m using Twitter the way I used to use this blog: To alert people to things I find interesting, that I hope they would like, and to talk about what I’m up to. It has been fun, but so then I’ve wondered why blogging isn’t that kind of fun too? Moreover, there’s a lot that I can’t write in Twitter’s 140 character limit, and my blog is much more accommodating.
So November will be a chance to rediscover some fun in blogging. So far, so good.
NaNoWriMo update: I wrote 968 words earlier today and planned to write more this evening, but some after-hours work went sour and the night is waning. I’m sorry to fall behind on the very first day, but I have a solid idea for the book and a clear idea of what to write next, so I still feel good about the day’s work. I have several noveling buddies as well, about whom I’ll tell you in the coming days.
DrawMo update: Same problem as above. I thought I’d find a few minutes to draw this evening, but so far I’m scrambling. Still, I will dash something off before bed. Look for a photo by Saturday.
What is DrawMo? Sounds like fun. I tried your link but it gave me an error. I’m a graphic artist and that would be a kick to get a pencil in my hand instead of a mouse. Or thumb pad. Whichever. I use both.
I’m not doing NaNo, but I am doing Sven’s Seventy Days of Sweat because the goal is less intimidating. I’m also self-employed, and though I make my own hours, not all of my hours are mine, if you know what I mean. Clients. Sheesh.
Karen: Sorry about the bad link — thanks for pointing that out. Here’s the correct link: http://drawmo.wordpress.com/
DrawMo is a challenge in which you draw one thing a day, every day in November. The rules, such as they are, are on the site. Basically the only rules is to draw. And if you miss a day (or start late into the month) you can make up the missed work, so long as you end November with 30 drawings. It’s fun!
I’ve not heard of Sven’s Seventy Days of Sweat, but I’ll check it out.