I was all gung ho this year to really finish my NaNoWriMo novel. Or at least get a solid start on the 50,000 word goal. I had divided the 50,000 words by the 31 days in November, which came out to a completely manageable goal of 1,500 words each day. Most promising of all, I was excited to be writing fiction again, and to have a community of writers with whom I could mark my progress.

You guessed it. I didn't do it. I barely even wrote the first day.

I used to meet every goal that I set for myself. I used to work well into the night if I needed to finish something by a deadline. But lately I've been giving myself a pass for every goal that I fail to accomplish. Using the example of this contest, I told myself that I was too busy and that I plenty of time to write a novel throughout the rest of the year. Simultaneously, I re-watched all five seasons of 30 Rock.

The most essential part about being a good writer is writing every day even if you have no inspiration to do so. Some of the best stuff you can write comes when you forgo getting that other cup of coffee or taking a break to watch TV and write instead. Write a bunch of crap, but there could be one sentence that's a keeper.

I thought there would be something about having a virtual community of writers that would keep me motivated to write. It didn't happen. Virtual communities are simultaneously a blessing and a curse. Positively, they give you the ability to connect with people from all over the world, and allow you to connect with a friend in India who will ask you where your first draft is. However, they can still make you feel isolated, you might not be able to connect with anyone and you'll probably never have to see the person face-to-face, opening up a whole new Pandora's Box of problems.

Perhaps the point I'm trying to make is that I've given myself too many excuses for not writing fiction, and forgoing this NaNoWriMo was the last straw. I guess I'll have to look at it like I look at exercise--15 minutes will eventually lead up to an hour on the elliptical; 300 words a day will eventually lead up to that 50,000. You sometimes have to start small.