Using Affirmations To Win NaNoWriMo

    First, an off topic note:  MAVEN should be launching today at 1:28 p.m. EST .  For more details check out @MAVEN2Mars or on NASA web site. I also posted some other useful links last week in NASA MAVEN Mission.  Now back to writing.

NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo web badge from 2013

     We are well into NaNoWriMo.  Some of us may feel we are way in over our heads, some of us may think we can still catch up and some of us may be well on our way to success.  Today I'd like to introduce you, if you are not already familiar with them, to the powerful tool of affirmations.  What are affirmations?  Let me turn it over to my favorite definition website Dictionary.com

af·fir·ma·tion

  [af-er-mey-shuhn]  Show IPA
noun
1.
the act or an instance of affirmingstate of being affirmed.
2.
the assertion that something exists or is true.
3.
something that is affirmeda statement or proposition that is declared to be true.
4.
confirmation or ratification of the truth or validity of a prior judgment, decisionetc.
5.
Law. a solemn declaration accepted instead of a statement under oath.  

    A lot of people talk about the power of positive affirmations.  Think about this for a moment.  You are listening to what you are saying and what you are telling yourself.  If you keep saying 'I can't do this, I can't do this.'  Guess what, you can't do this.  You will fail no matter how hard you try.  So the first thing you need to do is to stop talking down to yourself .  Just stop it.  Don't tell yourself how much your novel sucks.  It is a first draft!  Don't tell yourself you don't have the time to finish this.  Make time to finish this.  You are the boss of you when it comes to this awesome, amazing project you have started.  Give yourself some encouragement.  Believe in yourself.

    This is where positive affirmations can really come in handy.  I had wanted to post a list of affirmations that could be used to help us all get through NaNoWriMo.  As I thought about it more, I realized that each one of us is different.  Each of our projects are different.  The problems we face may be similar, but when examined carefully each case is unique.  Here is my challenge for you today.  Come up with your own affirmation that you can tell yourself.  What is it that you really need to hear right now?  What encouragement do you wish someone would say to you?  Don't be hard on yourself.  Word your affirmation in a positive and encouraging way.  Stand in front of the mirror and profess to yourself how great your project is going and how much you are enjoying it.   Be your own cheerleader.  Then write like the wind my friend and win NaNoWriMo for yourself.

Writing Response

    Last weeks haiku prompt was 'Waiting and change of seasons.'  Did you give it a try?  I like haiku.  They are very short and can express so much.  Here is what I wrote:

Observe the branches
Still and slack and grey and brown -
When will green appear?


Writing Exerciser

    For this weeks haiku prompt I used a time tested method.  Without looking, I opened the thesaurus to a random page and put my finger down.  I collected two words this way, here is the result.  This weeks haiku prompt is 'Monotonous reasoning.'  


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