The Second Day is Always Harder

Don't get me wrong, NaNo Day One is no walk in the park. Writing 1588 words isn't easy. But there's a sort of euphoria about the first day that buoys you up and carries you along to the last period of the day. (Never, and I mean never, stop writing in the middle of a sentence--you'll never remember what the end of that thought was when you go back to it the next day. Trust me on this; I speak from experience.)

On NaNo Day Two, the realization--the thing you knew intellectually already--starts sinking in emotionally that writing really is hard work and that you have to dig a little deeper if you're going to succeed. It's only day two, but this is the start of your understanding on a gut level, the difference between running a marathon and a sprint. And you're definitely at the start of a marathon.

The great thing about day two, though, is that once it's over there's a sort of lightness that comes over you. You made it. You wrote another 1314 words and it didn't kill you. (Do I have to trot out that old paraphrase of Nietzsche? Fine, fine. "What does not kill me, makes me stronger." Happy now?) You've written 2902 words in two days! You can do this.

Funny how that doesn't mean day three will be any easier. :-)