I wonder...
I've been struggling recently with writing Doorways, for the simple reason that I don't know what to write. I have tried writing through it, but I just don't seem to be able to write more than a few hundred words at a time. Nowhere near the amount I need to write if I am to have hope of NaNo success.
It's come to the point where I have been so desperate to write something that I went back to my Western. Results? About five thousand words in two days. Which means that if I can write a bit less than that every day between my studies, I would be able to actually finish 50k by month end.
But I want to finish the darned book.
On the other hand, my exams have been rerouted in such a way that I'm starting on 18 November and finishing in December. So I don't have time to struggle with every single word I have to pen down.
After all, I have to write 1200 every day and actually get round to studying. Kidding.
Studying is currently my biggest priority, but I have no problem with writing a little every day. But at this stage Doorways is taking me around five hours to write six hundred words. Five hours that I do not have.
So... as I am writing this, I come to the realization that I will get a lot more done if I relax on my finishing Doorways by year-end goal. If I add 50k words to the Western, I pretty much finish it. I could actually start refining the story and launch into my second draft. There will be a lot of work to it, yes. But I will actually have finished one of my stories.
But my heart lies with Doorways...
But if I can't pick up my productivity to the point where I can finish 1200 words in two and a half hours, I'm going to shelve it until December, which means that I won't finish it until it is finished. (Which at the rate it's currently going, might be next December. Maybe.)
Sigh... choices.
What would you do in a situation like this? Follow your head or follow your heart?
That is a hard choice. I would say . . . follow your heart, this time. If your heart isn't into what you're writing, then it might not have the certain quality that a story that you really want to write would have.
ReplyDeleteWell, in my humble opinion, Misha, I would say go with your heart.
ReplyDeleteThe enigmatic, masked blogger
This is a tough one. I'd say go with Doorways cause that's where your heart is, but you haven't been able to write it. Maybe focusing on the western for NaNo ould give you some time away and then you can come back to Doorways re-energized. Myabe you just need some time away.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting all!
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely something to be said about writing with my heart. Still... taking a break from something might get me right back on track for writing what I love.
:-)
Honestly, I'd go with doorways. It's what you truly want and that does make a difference. Even if you don't win with NaNo....your still going to be doing what YOU want.
ReplyDeleteGo with your heart. Inspired writing usually follows after that.
ReplyDeleteI am going to do NaNoWriMo as well, although it is rather daunting this time around as I have a few projects like yourself.
This is a tough choice. I'd say go with your gut. If you really want to work on Doorways, do that. But if you think a break might help, do that and work on something else for awhile.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of your comments! It really helped.
ReplyDeleteI decided to stick it out with Doorways, and wrote 1800 words.
:-)