Audrey A McGee

I kept myself semi-accountable every day of NaNoWriMo last year by posting on my Facebook page — I would post a blurb or a photo at the top of my writing time, and then comment how many words I wrote that day when I was done.

Two days ago, I made a post telling my friends that I’m, well, quitting NaNo for this year.

One of my friends told me that, in this busy season of my life, I’m going to be finding my boundaries. And hitting my head against them as I find them. That was Tuesday.

I hit a breaking point with the expectations I was putting on myself. I’m working multiple jobs, taking a night class, and still investing in community. I’m one of the least busy theatre people I know, and even so, my mind is still constantly absorbed with work. Now is not the time to be trying to write a novel.

Some highlights of the first 18 days of NaNo:

• Getting a free drink from earning store rewards
• Inventing a new character and promptly killing him off
• Finding Jon Andrew Franklin playing in a park
• A whole chapter of shameless exposition about the recent history of faeries in my world
• Perfecting my homemade hot chocolate recipe (secret ingredient: butter.)
• Drafts of the first three chapters that I am actually really happy with!
• Watching Disney’s Robin Hood with my roommate,
• and 26,485 words in total.

Thank you for following my journey and supporting me! Hope this encourages anyone who’s feeling especially discouraged from recent drawbacks or failures. According to Kate G Jameson, “You’re not quitting. You’re readjusting.”

Thanks, Kate, for being such an amazing writing buddy. Congrats on 50K words ALREADY!

Have a happy and thankful November, everyone!