Community Discussion:

[writingvixen.livejournal.com]

I love how your minds think. Oh if you aren't participating in our community discussion posts, you are MISSING out. The people here are lovely and wonderful and so, so wise.

Today's topic is going to be a little heavy and I do hope we all approach it with sensitivity and honesty. But I know this community. I know its members. I have no fear that you can tackle this with class and speak truth over the group.

Unfortunately November doesn't put life on hold, even if we'd want it to. We're chained to our computers, trying our hardest to write our novels and sometimes our friends and family just don't get it.

And it's hard.

We want to be there for them and give them attention, but ... hello, novel here! Our characters need our time, our energy. We're living for 50 people this month! So...

how do you do it? How do you walk the delicate balance of real life and writing life? How do you pound out 50K and keep your friends and family happy? How do you convey to them that you NEED alone time this month? Have you ever lost a friend because of NaNo? Let's talk about the ugly side of our 50k journey into creativity: our non writing lives.

Comments

[happeningtolife.livejournal.com]

I absolutely love this comment. I think you are 100% right in that it's our passions that drive us (hopefully for good!! hehe). Burnout is common in the field I'm in (social work) and I think it's because people take on so many burdens from work and don't allow themselves to just be themselves after coming home from work. Whether that means sitting down with your favorite instrument to play a few songs just for fun, or baking something for yourself and/or your significant other, or reading a good book, or working on a writing project... it all comes down to taking time away from work thoughts and towards time for yourself.

Anyway, just thought I'd toss my $0.02 on there. :) Last year I was unemployed and just getting used to living with fibro... this year I am in grad school (but still unemployed) and getting used to the workload there. But either way, even if it is in between writing papers or essay exams... I am determined to at least try my best and see what happens. If I don't win, I don't win. I may not like how I feel if I don't win, but at least I know I will have put forth my best efforts.

(And also, I don't think you're crazy. Way to go for being such a go-getter!!)