On Camp NaNoWriMo and Trying On My Editor's Hat

So, I'm doing another creative writing-related thing this month. Admittedly, it's a thing I'm embarrassed to admit I've never done before despite an entire lifetime of writing. I'm actually working with the raw manuscript I created during NaNoWriMo last November to get it edited from start to finish. These days, NaNoWriMo hosts an additional Camp NaNoWriMo event twice a year in April and July, where writers are allowed to set their own goals. I got an email about this year's April event a while back and -- since I, of course, still haven't gotten around to editing my last batch of work under my own power -- I decided to go for it.

Since editing goes a heck of a lot faster than raw writing does, especially when I'm editing my own stuff, I haven't had to be as diligent about doing it every day. (I'm a very clean writer, even when I'm flying by the seat of my pants, so editing is often more like proofreading than anything else.) I've been keeping up really well regardless, though, and have everything a little less than half-done. I'll definitely be able to "win" the event and come out of it with a fully edited collection of short stories. Then they'll all be ready to use, submit, or publish in the future.

I'm starting to feel... almost grown-up these days as far as my writing goes. First, I started making actual money writing things I wanted to write for a change. Now I've not only stuck with a long-form writing project long enough to finish it, but I've also managed to get back to it and tackle the editing. I gave up on the idea of longer writing projects a long time ago, as I thought I didn't have the attention span necessary to finish one. I'm thrilled to see I was apparently wrong about that. 

And the process of reading back through all these little stories has been a pleasant surprise. Most writers complain about going back to old material they've written and finding that they hate every single word of it. I'm having the exact opposite experience. I've been away from these ideas long enough to not entirely remember every little detail of how they play out, so they're almost like new to me. And... they're actually good. Some of them are very good, even if I do say so myself. 

7 Signs You're Dangerously Close to Being a Serious Writer

 

"Writers write. So, if you write, you're a writer." That's usually what I hear being given as the response when someone very new to writing asks someone who's been doing it a while whether they're a "real" writer yet. And, that's... an OK assessment of what it means to be a writer. But it's also a colossal oversimplification that doesn't really tell the person what they wanted to know. 

When I hear other people wondering out loud whether or not they're real writers, I think they're asking the wrong question because there are better ones out there. Am I a professional writer or an amateur? Do I even want to be a professional writer? And if I do want to be a professional writer, am I a serious writer? There are no wrong answers to questions like these. There aren't any wrong reasons for writing, either. 

But if you do take your writing seriously and hope to make it into more than just a fun way to kill some time someday, there are realizations that will happen along the way to let you know you're turning a corner. Here are some of the ones that clued me in to the fact that I was totally getting warm. 

1. You're willing and able to write when you don't feel like it.

One of the most significant differences I've noticed between "a writer" and "someone who occasionally writes" is writers don't wait for inspiration to strike. They actually get that even the most passionate creators aren't always going to feel like it every single time they sit down with a mind to beast some words. God knows I don't! But I write in some way, shape, or form nearly every day regardless, even if all I write is a private journal entry. 

Regardless of where you are in your personal writing journey, consistency is critical. It's how you get better when you're first starting out, and it's how you stay on task when you're ready to start publishing your things, taking on professional assignments, or both. Serious writers treat their writing like a job, meaning they show up and show out whether or not they're in the mood.

On Lana Del Rey and the Beauty of Melancholy

So, Lana Del Rey dropped a new album a few days ago -- Chemtrails Over the Country Club. I've been listening to it quite a lot since, as well as revisiting some of Lana's other music. I've also been having some interesting thoughts about music in general, the role it's played throughout my life, and the effects it has on me still. 

Lana Del Rey's music occupies a strange category for me. It evokes strong feelings of nostalgia and reminds me of all kinds of things despite not also being music I grew up listening to. 

She wasn't even around as an artist when I was still growing up, as she would have been just a child herself. However, her style as an artist and much of the imagery in her music reminds me of how I felt, thought, and took up space in the world way back then. The fact that the beach and many references to life in California come up often in her music underscores all this even further.

When I was young, I had so many strong emotions. Many of them were difficult, dark, and consuming -- like longing, melancholy, and restlessness. Life was difficult for me as a young person, and it took me until I was in my 20s to start coming into my own. But I had an incredibly rich fantasy life at that age, as well. I was always obsessed with some boy I knew, or occasionally I'd construct elaborate fantasies around actors (and even fictional characters) I found objectively attractive. I'd daydream about what I'd be like when I was older -- painfully, sorrowfully beautiful and, of course, so very deep -- as well as all the tumultuous, passionate romances I was sure I would one day have. 

One of my favorite things to do was indulge in these fantasies and wonder what my life would eventually be like while listening to music. If I could be outside taking up space in some beautiful setting while I did it, so much the better. I especially loved going on long nature walks, hanging out on the beach while watching the waves, and spacing out in the passenger seat on long road trips while watching the world go by. I never felt very connected to my family, my friends, or most of the men I dated when I was in my teens and early-mid 20s, so maintaining this sort of rich inner life seemed to fulfill some of the needs those relationships didn't.