You're reading this thread, so you know what's coming. (Note: some of you have legitimate family emergencies that have kept you away from your novel. If the stuff in here doesn't apply to you, ignore this thread and keep going.)
You're not done your novel. You could be done, but you're not. In fact, you're not close to done, and you're doubting that you'll finish, but you're still hanging on there. You want to be convinced to keep going.
The fact is, the reason your novel isn't done is because you've been half-assing it the whole time. You've been throwing out crappy phrases like, "Oh, I may not make it, but it's fun just to try," and "It doesn't really matter to me if I win." Well you and I both know that's bullshit. If you didn't care, you wouldn't try. You'd write on your own time and in other months. The fact is, you really, really want to finish, and you're scared to death to admit it. You're scared to commit to finishing. You know that if you commit, if you say "No excuses, I'm going to do it," if you throw your hat over the wall, you risk failure. As long as you can keep pretending not to care, you can always say to yourself, "Well, if I had really tried, I could have done it. But, y'know, I didn't really care.
I challenge you to care To stop making excuses. You could have been done, but you're not. You've been watching too much TV, wasting your time, procrastinating, reading the forums, and doing other stuff besides your novel. Well, aren't you tired of it? Aren't you tired of never finishing anything, of feeling like a failure and making excuses for yourself? Aren't you tired of not having enough self-discipline to get something really big done?
Yes, it takes courage just to try. But it takes no courage at all to quit. And it doesn't take courage to make excuses, either. It takes a lot of courage to finish. Stop making excuses, get off the damn forums, and write something. Because at the end of the month, you can either have excuses, or you can have a novel. Stop listening to your own lies about why you can't do it. Dare to commit. Dare to push through. Dare to finish.
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2001: Through the Brass Medallion
2002: Blue Note Bandits
2003: Learning the Ropes
2004: The Brotherhood for Progession of the Sciences
2005: Finding Frost
2006: Envisioning Frost
2007: Saving Endaya
2008: Peacebuild Incorporated
56,890 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2008 - 15 02
Thank you!
----------I needed that - am sitting here trying to edit (passed 50K a while ago and finished the 1st draft a few days ago) but have had a crap day. This thing is just so long... taking ages to read, let alone edit! I was actually about to give up for the night but am now going to find hot chocolate and music... and keep going. I needed that boot up the backside, being gentle doesn't always work with me.
Words Written :- 0
Cups of Hot Chocolate :- 0
% Sanity :- 100
60,076 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2008 - 15 21
I aaaaam. :( I wanna finish.
This got me in gear. Once Word stops updating (and FREAKING OUT), I'll try and finish my novel. Tonight!
52,447 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2008 - 15 22
Thank you for the kick up the butt - I needed it. I'm slightly ahead of what I should be to get 50,000 words in time so I was considering just skipping writing tonight, had a bit of a bad day, but thanks to your encouragement I'm determined to write the full 2,000 words I intended to write today.
Merci Beaucoup.
50,292 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2008 - 15 56
I love you.
<= is the only person behind on their word count in this thread so far
----------***
http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2445332/1/ = nano novel 2007
http://www.drunkduck.com/MOSAIC = my webcomic
51,273 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2008 - 16 15
No you're not Soma, check out my pitiful word count. I just my kick in the butt! Thanks!!
-----------Dawn Joyce
2008: Vindication (51K)
Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. ~E.L. Doctorow
50,030 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2008 - 16 19
thanks much for the butt kicking : )
50,980 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2008 - 16 28
Really, thanks a lot. I needed something like this.
----------2008: The Lost - WON!
50,058 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2008 - 16 51
I came to this forum thinking, "Hmmm, I need my butt kicked." And this did it!
For the first time in NaNoWriMo I hit the greatest possible writer's block and my parents are yelling at me for my novel causing my grades to slip and today I was just like... uhg, I might not make it.
But I guess I'm going to have to kick some butt. ;D
162,395 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2008 - 17 02
You rock. :)
----------Nanos attempted and won: 4
JanNos attempted and won: 3
Collective word count: 547k
Ending or bust!
50,009 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2008 - 17 25
Ouch. That hit close to home.
All right then, it's novelling time! No holds barred, no editors allowed, every word counts writing to the finish! GO!
----------Only dead fish swim WITH the stream.
56,890 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 04 05
I edited a few more chapters last night after reading this for the first time and am now off to do the final three after having had another kick up the backside. Thanks again - I'll probably finish today now.
----------Words Written :- 0
Cups of Hot Chocolate :- 0
% Sanity :- 100
200,472 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 04 50
THANK YOU.
Needed this. Bookmarking. You have no idea how much I just needed this.
One thing I'm deathly afraid of is that when December comes, my self discipline will die a death. But thanks to this thread, I've remembered it doesn't have to be that way. That courage is here all months of the year; it'll just take a little more to continue this journey when I feel like I'm alone.
Once again: Thank you. So much.
----------http://muserampant.wordpress.com/ - Writing Blog
2005: Musical Scales (53K)
2006: Myra (50K)
2007: Dark of Day (50K)
2008: The King's Hand &
Spiderweb Skin &
Featherwitch &
Crows and Pencils (163K total)
50,084 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 12 15
Yay! My favorite thread!
----------You must do the thing you think you cannot do. - Eleanor Roosevelt
50,616 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 12 38
thank you thank you thank you!
Needed this so badly. ...Now I'm off to write. :]
----------Those who write have The Power. Those who read just get to bask in our glory....
50,197 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 12 50
*wince*
*twitch*
FINE. XD
I will catch up today, darnit...
*goes off to write*
51,459 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 20 21
...D:< I'm so tired though!
-hisss-
:c Fine. I'll gogogogogo.
44,054 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 20 43
Wise words, well said. Thank you for the shove.
50,075 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 21 24
Haha, I just need to stop having to go to the bathroom so much.
That's my problem, but I am finishing tonight, if my story doesn't meet my word count, then I'll add in a bonus smut scene. xD
----------NaNoWriMo '08: Hard-Drive: WON
ScriptFrenzy '08: Untitled Currently: Planning
50,041 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 21 43
Thanks for the butt-whupping! I really need it to stay on target. My original goal was 40k, but now as I'm sneaking ever closer to 50k...just needed a little bit of encouragement to reach 50k!
---------------------
NaNo 2008: See My Way
"You can walk, you can talk, you can fight but inside you've got something to write!"--Pete Townshend
0 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 23 29
I think your butt kicking just gave me another 10k day, 3 this month so far now!
50,284 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 00 03
You hit the nail on the head, I feel extremely guilty now about not writing a lot today, but I am off to remedy that.
Thank you!
----------NaNoWriMo '06: Trashlands - 50,065/50,000
ScriptFrenzy '07: Bloody Skies - 22,441/20,000
NaNoWriMo '07: The Time Thief - 21,125/50,000
NaNoWriMo '08: The Story Of A Not-So-Big Damn Hero - 50,284/50,000
50,034 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 01 11
Thank you.
Chronic procrastinator here. Off to write more words now.
51,328 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 07 45
Thank you!
Now I'm gonna go write.
----------"Those other girls, yeah, they're beautiful. But would they write a song for you?"
50,014 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 09 39
Thanks, I really need to hear your message.
50,196 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 09 51
I'm kind of between the two. There have been things that kept me away from my novel. But they shouldn't have kept me away from my novel as long as they did. I kept thinking I would have enough time during this last week to catch up. Turned out I had more catch up than I realized.
I decided to win, but I started to doubt whether I would be able to. Especially when I got sick yesterday and lost precious hours. Now I have three days left... and I needed this message to kick me into gear. Thank you. No more excuses. I WILL do this. I am capable. I would never forgive myself if I didn't succeed.
----------2006: Newsong- about 5,000- loser
2007: All the Forms of Love- 55,003- WINNER
Current Word Count: 58,000
50,011 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 10 43
Thanks for this!
I had a really productive weekend last weekend (because I was extremely far behind!), churning out 10k in the space of 36 hours. And then I was ahead, which was so exciting! So then I slacked off, because I was ahead. And now I have four days worth of words to write, and only three days in which to write them. But, because of your serious ass-whooping, I am determined to write two more days worth of words before dinner today, so that I can reasonably finish tomorrow.
Merci beaucoup!
50,048 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 10 46
*off to write*
25,000 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 10 53
I needed this badly.
Man, I wish I could've seen this a week ago.
Now I have to stop wallowing in self pity and write.
I'm going. Now.
Thanks!
35,088 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 10 58
I needed this as well.
I've been seriously procrastinating lately, all because I got behind and doubted that I could finish.
If I actually got my lazy butt in gear, I could actually reach my goal...
Time to work!
50,347 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 11 13
Okay, yeah. I only just broke 40000, and I'm thinking to myself, "Oh, it's okay, I can rest a few hours, come back to this tonight..." But this is getting me back into gear. Delicious muffin break is over. Time to write some more.
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