After my first NaNoWriMo, I took only a couple of days off and then got right into revising my novel, while I could still remember it. After my second, I didn’t. Big mistake. Between the inevitable loss of motivation, impetus, and memory issues, revising Aban’s Accension became difficult and almost didn’t happen. And so for my third kick at NaNoWriMo, I told myself, I must revise right away — in December.
That’s what I told myself.
Yup.
I was determined to start the first week of December.
Yup, determined.
Didn’t happen.
Fatigue and appointments kind of got in the way. Or so that’s the excuse I gave myself. But during a stern session Monday with the therapist who helps me set goals and figure out how to organize my schedule to meet them, I recorded in my iPod Pocket Informant calendar that today I would start revising. Easier written down than done.
I began the day with my NaNoWriMo pre-writing routine of breakfast and hot chocolate. I made myself some coffee. I took it and a big glass of ice water (writing is thirsty work) to my computer and promptly procrastinated.
But if my energy levels are up to the task, my schedule is a powerful force on me. When I see something written down, it’s like a magnet drawing me in to obey. And so I finally did by deciding to begin gently. I began with making the changes and additions I’d jotted down in my Script Frenzy Moleskine notebook as I was writing last month. It wasn’t so bad, and I got through two pages of notes. I also blogged on Google+ afterwards, like during NaNoWriMo, and copied my thoughts here.
The ice is now broken. Revising should become easier and easier in the coming weeks.
