Only a few more days left in November. Time to hit the word count hard…whether you’ve been writing madly during NaNoWriMo, or merely editing the same crazy 50 pages (+ scene chart + synopsis), like me.

Here’s my editing goal for the end of the month: to make more connections. Connections between the chapters and the characters.

My main character needs to think more about events that happened in earlier chapters and how those events affect what is presently going on and then what is going to happen (or what she thinks is going to happen) in the future. This is something that will help make my chapters less episodic. And, it will give the reader more time in my character’s head, which is still lacking.

My critiquer mentioned something brilliant, something about these reflective moments being like connective tissue between scenes and chapters. Ah! I get it. Now, to make it happen.

          Another Monday slipped up on me! I almost forgot about posting this blog. But not for the usual reasons. Yay!

          I’ve been busy writing on my NaNoNovel . . . or whatever it is I’m writing. At the moment, it is just a mixture of scenes, journal entries and guided discussions with myself. Verbalizing the emotions of these past few months is helping me to define them. Defining them is leaching them of their power away over me. Finally, the creative side of me is re-emerging. Tentatively. A tiny sigh here, a stray comment there, a hesitant suggestion whispered in my mind’s ear. That’s okay. That’s as it should be. It takes time to heal from trauma. A body lies in the ICU, being cared for and monitored for many days, even weeks after a physical trauma. Just as I needed “trama-ICU” time to heal emotionally, so I need “trauma-ICU” time to heal creatively. And I am . . . healing, that is.

          Last week I read a guest blog on Storyfix.com. Art Holcomb, the guest blogger, tells a story of his 1st published piece. One scene was pivotal. That one scene made the piece authentic. That one scene started him on the road to writing as a career. More importantly, though, it also started him on the road of discovering and healing through his writing.

          In another Storyfix blog, one that sounds almost un-Larry-like, Larry also encourages us to write. He suggests that maybe all “our Muse” is waiting for is for us to sit down and start. If we would just start writing, what we need to write will be made clear. (I told you it didn’t sound like Larry. )

          Art encourages us to write with our hearts. To learn our craft, but to keep letting the six-year-old in us out to play. In doing so, we’ll grow as people and as writers. Larry encourages us to write, again with our hearts. In the doing, we will discover what we need to write. And now I add my voice to theirs and encourage you to write. That’s what I’m doing. That’s what I’ve done. And in the doing I am healing and I am discovering myself and, even more exciting, I am discovering Story! Sometimes it comes slow; sometimes it comes so fast my fingers can’t keep up. Either way, I’m writing! I’m writing! I’M WRITING!

          Come join my happy dance all over the keyboard.

Eight days ago, National Novel Writing Month started and I was feeling quite good about my first day’s progress. Six days ago, John got a text message saying the job he expected to get wasn’t going to come through. Suddenly we were looking at a calendar and seeing we had three weeks to get out of Australia before our visas expired! (They are good until 2015, unless John isn’t working at a sponsoring company.)

Needless to say, I haven’t gotten any more writing done! These are the kinds of things that can really derail your momentum. I had just gotten started with my self-publishing business and I’m still in the middle of bringing Little Miss Lovesick to print before Christmas. But now my days are so full of packing that I didn’t even have time to get this blog posted on time.

Still, what can you take from unexpected roadblocks? You can get upset, of course. But that’s an easy way out. The more difficult but, I believe, better path is to find a way to use the roadblocks. The other day when I was really freaking out, I was trying to think of a way to calm down…so I gave my feelings to the character of the short story I’m writing for an anthology. That poor girl is really having some terrible days in my head, but I’m feeling much better!

If NaNo (or any of your writing) started out well for you but has already hit some bumps, look for ways to use the bumps to make a more interesting story. And remember all the other times that you had roadblocks and you got through them. You’ll get through these as well. We both will. (On the hard days, I remember – I’ll be home for Thanksgiving!!)

Meanwhile, I’ve got to go pack. And I think my character is going to have some packing/moving issues in her story.