This is a retrospection of my writing experience in the last week. I will reflect on what I have gained through the experience and why I have fond it useful. I’m not one for posting regular updates as I don’t consider the minutia of my life that important but I know that some of you are curious as to how NaNoWriMo is going.

Usually my creative makeup is such that I allow my creative soul to flow and trickle like a river, shaping and forming over rocks and cutting into the sandy banks; something that could be called going with the flow. So the body of my creative work becomes one with the ups and downs of my life, fitting into the ever fluid rhythms of the weeks. It is a very flexible way of being and I feel that it has been useful for me to learn a more flowing technique in the past but, on the other hand, I am learning that discipline and commitment are part of the process as well; much like the fact that we have both left and right hands, it brings balance to the body.

Signing up for NaNoWriMo 2023 has opened up several outcomes already: 

1. Setting an intention or goals: I prefer to think of it as setting an intention but NaNoWriMo refers to it as setting goals. It is something I started practicing when I first started blogging. I planned to post a certain number of times a week. The idea is to hold oneself accountable within reason, for example, this last week I have been struggling with allergies and asthma and so at times it has been difficult to stick to the exact intention but the intention is there as a reminder of what I would ideally like to achieve. I feel this is a good habit to practice for something that one really wants to develop.
2. Writing support: We are given access to a wealth of material from actual authors through podcasts and essays. I have found them to be very encouraging and uplifting, even empowering.  I am grateful for this type of support.
3. Writing tools: we are provided many writing tools and suggestions with which we can experiment. It is a wonderful opportunity to give oneself permission to try different things and to ask questions about different possibilities.    
4. Taking stock: It is tempting just to fill the quota of words that one has decided on but, for me, what has been very important is to take stock of the body of work that I have done over the last 30 years and appreciate what I have done, how far I have come, how much I have grown etc. I have also made some practical decisions towards completing some of the projects that I have abandoned due to what I refer to as “life happens.” I feel like I am at the right stage of life to complete them. As I looked over my projects I felt a great sense of gratitude and joy.   
5. Different genre: I decided to study up and research different genre that might suit some of my previous projects better. This is something I have been doing on my own but I have been using this time to enhance my efforts.
6. My writing process: Coming full circle, back to setting intentions, my intention is to make full use of my time that I am setting aside. In this time frame I have spent some time reflecting on my process of writing. For me writing is not just typing words and counting them but the process of writing is about making room for the expression of meaningful thoughts or experiences and also for finding inspiration by filling the well. I fill my well in different intentional ways: brooding, percolating, making room for inspiration which includes making “space,” walking, talking, and engaging with others in discussions.  It includes research, brainstorming, free-association and reading. Some people would refer to this as the pre-writing stage, which it is, but I like to think of it as filling the well. At this stage I often have inspiration or an ahha moment. Then comes the drafting and shaping with added research; then after that comes the revision (re-reading and deleting and fine-tuning) and editing (more shaping). And eventually I share my writing either through informal avenues as letters, messages, and posts; or more formally as published works and projects. It also means assessing what has gone on before. And this is what I have given a good bit of time to as assessing what I have done in the past (taking stock) informs what I might write about in the present or future.

I have found my first week very enriching and I am looking forward to my next week.

Take care, Mx