Nanowrimo, Day Ten
Posted on Friday, November 11th, 2011Once a year, it comes around. Rearing its head from previously calm waters, it is suddenly upon you, eating your motivation, intention and willpower. Yep, some of you know what I’m talking about. Drama. But not just any Drama. No, this is a very specific kind. Yep, I’m talking about the Drama Monster that you never expect.
Nano-Drama.
Yes, this is a thing. This wild beast only raises its ugly head when lots of writers get together and proceed to get hoped up on Caffeine, hope and endorphins.
It happens when you say a careless word or try to help and get bashed down. It happens when somebody else feels that they are excluded from something and have to make a big deal of it. It happens when you refuse to say anything about issues you’re having because you don’t want to create Drama and then somebody else does it anyway.
It’s annoying because there is no good answer and (if both parties are adult about it) they know that.
On the other hand, adults solve this by deciding (as Jack Sparrow put it), “What a (wo)man can do and what a (wo)man can’t.”
If I am willing to put up with issues, then in my mind, the problem was not large enough for me to be complaining about. If it is big enough that I must eventually start speaking up then I can decide if that problem is big enough for me to stay or leave. So, how do I decide if I need to fight for my rights or how do I decide that my rights are less important than the groups? Each answer is different and no two will ever be the same.
Whether its somebody saying you’ve lied about your total, somebody bashing you or your words or perhaps even you making the eternal tired mistake of opening your mouth when you shouldn’t have, the advice is the same.
Pull up your Big-Girl Panties and get on with your life. The entire world doesn’t need to change to suit you but neither do you need to change to suit the world.
Decide what you can do and what you can’t. That will tell you everything you need to know.
P.S. – Also, remember that the only person who can let Drama stop you from writing is yourself. So keep writing… even if it is the last thing you want to do. This month, your novel is your refuge. Don’t let anyone take that away from you.
Tags: Blog, Drama, motivation, Nano-Drama, Nanowrimo, Novels, Psychology, Sociology, Writing, Writing Excuses
Posted in Blogs by B.A. Matthews | Comments Off