Writing Hump

It's that time of year. I have noticed that every single year, the same thing happens that is quite disconcerting a writer. I always participate in NaNoWriMo in November of the given year. This is a very uplifting thing for me, whether I finish the required 50000 words or not. And it inspires me to keep writing, usually because I haven't finished the story I am working on. So I keep going on in December. And with the creative juices flowing, I end up writing down some ideas that pop into my brain while I work. So when January hits, I have even more stuff trying to escape from my brain.

It helps that I am usually housebound by winter weather for a good portion of my time. But then, usually around the end of March, the weather is starting to get nicer and unfortunately seasonal allergies start to come into play, as well as migraines due to rapid weather fluctuations. We also, about that time, come into a heavy birthday and holiday rotation, taking up time. And then there are scholastic and extra-curricular activities that need my attention as a Mom. So yeah, it gets a little tougher to set aside time for writing.

So I kept all that in mind this year. And I sailed through March with flying colors. April however, was nearly my down fall. Trying to write through that month was horrible. It felt like I was sick constantly, or my kids were. Or there were problems that needed way too much attention. I couldn't believe it, at the end of the month, that I had managed to write just over 100000 words, let along the 70k that had actually been my goal. It was amazing what the discipline of writing every single day can do for a person. But I was also very scared that I had burned myself out to do this amount of writing. Not just physically, but mentally and creatively.

Luckily, new month, beautiful weather, illness free and changing stories to work on, proved to be just what I needed. I'm keeping up with the writing, the goals and still able to forgive myself if I don't write on a day that my husband has off. I have made plans to spend time with the kids. I have nearly completed a sweater for my eldest daughter so that when I have the urge to write but can't for whatever various reasons, I have another outlet for the creative urge. It feels wonderful.

So I guess I could say that March and April are my hump months of the year. I made it through and the rest of the year should be golden!