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NaNoReWriMo: The Lingering Effects of Social Anxiety

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I like to think I have learnt to cope with my social anxiety.

I can talk myself down from most panics.

I know what sets me off – lack of sleep, job interview post-mortems – and I can avoid these things.

But there are a few lingering effects. Behaviours that I think are tied into social anxiety, though not exactly manifestations of it.

For instance, I find it very difficult to concentrate on anything on the day of a big social event. Even if I’m not properly anxious, just a little nervous.

Today:

Only 418 words added to my novel.

I have two parties to go to.

Still, at least now I have recognised this weakness, I can try to plan around it and try to do chores instead of activities requiring higher-level brain functions!

NaNoReWriMo: Leaving Ideas for Later

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Never start with a blank slate

Here’s a trick I use to make sure that whenever I open whatever I’m working on, I can get going right away. Unless I’m at the end of the story, I never write everything I could possibly write that day. I always leave ideas for tomorrow – I make a few quick notes about what I think I’ll write next at the bottom of the part I just finished.

I know I didn’t invent this idea, but it’s something that really works for me. If I write until my brain won’t give me any more, then the next day, I’m more likely to struggle. If I stop when I know I could continue, but when I’ve already written a good amount for that day, it’ll be easier when I next pick it up.

Today:

1,051 words. I’m behind, but I’m not bothered. I’ve always failed NaNo when I started in a blaze of 3000-words-per day glory. I’m going to pace myself – the most important thing is that I like what I’m writing! 50,000 words in a month will be pointless if I don’t like this version either!

Plus today I had the day off from my day job, and I slept til 11:30, which I needed after barely sleeping on Wednesday night.