Wow, I was a lot more optimistic and confident last week. This week, not so much. (My 4th and final check-in will happen on Saturday next week, btw, the last day of the month.)
Initial Wordcount + ChapterCount: 26,137 and 7 1/2 chapters
Current WC + CC: 36,601 words and 11 chapters (+ some work on a scene ahead I skipped to)
WIP Issues this week: Oh boy. You can call it burnout or the fact that I started panicking a bit when there were some days I couldn’t meet my minimum goals (see, feeling I “have to” meet certain word goals by certain deadlines might not be a good idea), but I’m not happy with my manuscript anymore. It could also be working outside of genres I’m used to (my first NA and my first straight-up contemporary with nothing that couldn’t happen IRL going on), too. But I feel like the passion isn’t there anymore, and I’m just finishing it because I’m tired of not finishing projects. (I have three manuscripts I stopped writing but don’t want to trunk forever, either…)
To be more accurate, I never felt “passion” for this one like I have with works in the past, but I didn’t dislike it either until this week. I don’t feel like “Oh, I’ll fix it in rewrites” is a thing here. The execution is just not matching anywhere close to the idea I had in my head, and I don’t think there’s a better way of doing it. It just is what it is… And it’s bland.
What I learned this week in writing: I can certainly not love my works even after finishing two manuscripts I do love. (And I could pump those out really quickly because I felt passionate about them.) This is not a good sign, especially going into the last week. I’m determined to make it to 50,000 words just to say I properly did NaNoWriMo once and “won,” but it might be a struggle. I’m also worried because I’m quite certain it won’t be finished at 50k or even shortly after that. If the month ends and I take the break from writing I desperately want to take, how am I going to convince myself to go back and finish the first draft?
What distracted me this week while writing: Lots of work and appointments.
Last 200 words: Can’t share due to spoilers.
How’s it going for all of you so far? (Whether you’re participating officially or doing your own thing!)
Amy McNulty 
When Humphrey Bogart was asked if he knew during the filming of Casablanca that it was a really special movie, he said no. It was simply one of a number of movies he filmed in a row, and he didn’t know it would be special. Sometimes great things come from just continuing to do competent work.
Thank you! That was a very uplifting idea. 😀 I’ll keep trying. I have to. I promised myself I would at least finish NaNoWriMo!