To paraphrase of Bullwinkle, “Watch me pull 50,000 words out of my hat.” For those of us who don’t write a novel a month on a regular basis, that snarling lion is our lateral habenula growling at the over-optimistic Bullwinkle part of our brain, “I’m going to do what? Sounds like 50,000 ways to fail. … More Why 50,000 Is Not the Magic #NaNoWriMo Number
(NOTE: Not even considering NaNoWriMo? Keep reading; this stuff applies to any writer.) Of course, knowing who your characters are, what they want, what they need and what stands in their way is important, but if your habenula isn’t firing right, NaNoWriMo is going to be a month-long lesson in frustration. To be precise, I … More Forget Plot Outlines! Is Your Habenula NaNoWriMo Ready?
“Shoot for the stars. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Right? Wrong. Dangerously wrong. Overly ambitious writing goals often backfire. “Give it a try, what do you have to lose?” is not always your best strategy. What you have to lose is your motivation. If you failed before or anticipate the possibility … More Are Your Writing Goals Too Ambitious?
Bane of Your Resistance 