Time for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, dedicated to helping out insecure writers around the world. This month the event is hosted by Charity Bradford, S.A. Larsen, AJ,Tamara Narayan, Allison Gammons, and Tanya Miranda!. Many thanks to the cohosts!
I have an obvious insecurity to report on today: Camp NaNoWriMo has begun! I’m only about 500 words in so far, and I’m nervous – I need to more than triple that number each day. Can I do it? We will have to see.
My big problem is tweaking. I wrote 550 words in about a half hour last night (starting right at midnight), then spent more than an hour this morning revising them. I know I have to just keep going. But it’s the opening! It’s the most important part of the book! It will determine whether a reader keeps going, or not!
Too bad! Just keep going.
But I changed the scene a little – it’s happening slightly later than it originally was. That change will affect what comes next, so of course I had to go through and make the change, or I can’t go forward.
Man, this is the main thing I have to fix.
Just. Keep Going.
Does anyone else have this problem?
Word Wacker 
Ack! Stop revising! Write multiple versions of the beginning if you feel the need to change some stuff but don’t delete any words. I try to limit myself to re-reading just enough of the previous writing session to get back into the flow, but I don’t allow myself to delete anything.
Good luck! You can do it! 🙂
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That’s what I keep telling myself! Thanks for the support.
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NaNoWriMo, I’ve found, is a practice in acceptance. You get that first draft out, regardless of its quality, and edit afterwards. If you get caught up in the editing, you’ll never hit your mark. Now, I’ve also found if something isn’t work, I’ll just keep what I wrote already and start over at a different spot. I keep the first bit for word count and reference – you never know if you might find something in it later to use.
This year, though I’ve never done well with camp, I’ve set a lofty goal of 80k or 20 short stories – whatever I hit first. I haven’t even started and it’s making me crazy.
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Hang in there! You and I will stick together and get it done! Thanks for your response.
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You’re not alone. I have the same problem. I’m in the middle of a rewrite but still find myself going back to the beginning to fix something. Writing a good hook is not always easy. And I know I should just keep going but sometimes I can’t help in going back. Guess the only thing we can do is just write and don’t ever look back. Not until we reach the end.
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