Pushing Your Limits

There's less than one week left in NaNo and I have to say...I don't know if I can do it. Last week I KNEW I couldn't. This week I'm on the fence. I'm giving myself some credit. I think I can (repeat that three times), but there are times when it just feels like I'm pressing the buttons and random words and messy sentences are showing up.

Sometimes that's what you have to do in order to get through the infamous 'block'. What I've learned this year from NaNo that I didn't during NaNo's past is I can push my limits. The past two years I set easier goals. Rather than the whole 50k I decided to go for 30k. Before I didn't think it would ever be possible for me to get past that number. This year I felt different, stronger (writer strong), and I did get past the 30k hump. I'm proud of myself for achieving that goal, it's pretty impressive for a slow writer like myself, but I'm going to keep going.

You never know how strong you are until you've pushed yourself harder than you ever thought possible. As a writer we have to constantly evolve in order to get better at what we're doing, and a part of my evolution includes writing at a faster rate. I'm not sure what's going to happen next month (especially with my brain, it might be a puddle of jumbled words), but I do know right now I have a choice. I can either choose to be happy achieving a new goal, or I can choose to go even further and achieve one I didn't think I'd ever be able to. What are you guys going to choose?

What's Up Wednesday

What I'm Reading:
Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross, a historical fiction that takes place in Paris during the late 1800s. It's fascinating. The descriptions  transport you to the Parisian streets and the bustle of Aristocratic life. The premise is original and I'm curious as to whether it's true or not. The only issue I have is with the MC Maude. She's a bit...boring? There's no pep in her step, no spunk. I'm hoping she grows a personality as the book progresses. Either way I'm enjoying myself.

What I'm Writing:
17,000+ words into NaNo! Way ahead of where I was last year. I've gotten to the good, meaty stuff and it's helping quite a bit in the inspiration department.

What Inspires Me Right Now:
Pandora. I have it on the majority of the day and it makes writing and cleaning go by much faster. Right now I'm obsessed with the Lorde channel. LOVE her stuff and the other artists that it plays. I've discovered a few new bands to fall in love with.

What Else I've Been Up To:
Surviving. Life can get a bit overwhelming, stressful, exhausting at times and right now I'm just trying to get through a patch where it seems to be everything at once. Writing is helping, so is reading. Oh well, c'est la vie!

What have you been up to?

What's Up Wednesday

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's up, put on by Jamie Morrow and Erin Funk. If you'd like to join click on the links above!

What I'm Reading:
The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour. I'm halfway through and I have to say I'm really enjoying it. Not totally in love, but it's a great, well written story. I'm curious to find out why Bev changed her mind about traveling the world with Colby and how things will end (or begin) for Colby. One thing I do love is reading about the obscure towns they visit on their tour, and the characters they meet in passing that have a more significant impact on them than people they've known their whole lives. I also finished Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas yesterday and really liked that as well (not love, yet again). It's a great fantasy, which I needed after a string of contemporaries (nothing against contemporaries, i love them, but I need to switch it up every now and then). I have to say I enjoyed the sequel more than Throne of Glass, not only was the writing stronger, but the plot twists had my head spinning.

What I'm Writing:
NaNoWriMo! I'm just over 8,000 words in. I'm kind of not feeling the story right now. There are scenes I can't wait to get to, but I have to figure out the beginning first, and the writing is really 'meh', even for a first draft. I'm not giving up, though, because I'm really excited about the stuff that's going to come up, I just have to start it with a bang as well. I guess that's what revisions are for.

What Inspires Me Right Now:
NaNoWriMo. I love knowing I"m not the only one trying to get words on paper (or computers) especially SO MANY of them in such a short amount of time. Makes me feel less crazy and more motivated.

What Else I've Been Up To:
Reading. I have so many great books from the library right now and trying to read and NaNo together is near impossible. Not to mention taking care of a family and house. But I love all those things (minus housework) so I make sure to find time to fit everything in. I don't always succeed, but when I do, man does it feel good.

What Have You Been Up To?