Sprinter Authors vs. Marathon Authors

For many of you, NaNoWriMo is half way through! For some of us who are just getting into it, it's only the beginning.

However, whether you be a late starter or one of the many crazy people who wait until the first wee hours of Nov. 1st to begin, we all have one thing in common:

LACK OF MOTIVATION

Today, as I was taking a walk outside, I started to prepare myself mentally for the challenge up ahead. Due to a surgery that I recently had done and some other things going on, I have yet to officially start my NaNo project. Yes, I only have 17 days left. Yes, that means almost 3,000 words per day.... Yet, I'm determined to keep at it. Why? Because I'm stubborn. There really isn't much more than that...

However, I also have this thing called 'motivation'. See, one of the reasons why I have enjoyed NaNo, even though this will only be my second time doing it, is because it resembles a sprint. Short, sweet, hard, and to the point.

Since the day I was born, I was destined to be a sprinter. Why? It's simple: body build. Have you ever looked at the differences in the bodies of sprinters and marathon runners? Sprinters have built up that bulky muscle that delivers results quickly and in a powerful way. Marathon runners are lean, mean, and can run... and run.... and run... and... you get the point.

My body build is more similar to a sprinter... which isn't a problem because most tasks around here on the ranch require shorter, powerful bursts of energy (like chasing down a cow... and yes, that does happen frequently...)

However, what are our mind muscles like? And I say mind muscles to describe our thinking tanks...
Do we work in short bursts of inspiration, or are we able to see the long goal? For me, I tend to focus in on the short term. What can I get done today, where I am I going next with my story, etc. For others, they think out the long term. How shall I end my story, where will I tie it in with my next novel, and when can I start marketing?

As you may have guessed, similar to my body build, my mind build is more sprinter-like. I don't tend to think in long goals. I've always had trouble writing up an outline... I've been known to change my story up almost constantly... However, that's how I work best. It doesn't mean I'm a bad author for it, it just means that I work differently than others.

Some people can sit down and write for hours on end, knowing exactly where they are going with their story, how to get it accomplished, bada bing, bada boom.

Others, like me, usually wait to write until inspiration hits them. Then boom! We go all crazy, staying up until the wee hours of the morning, because we had a moment of inspiration and we must write it down!

To go back to our sprinters and marathon runners, it's rather interesting that they can only do the one thing they've trained for. Marathon runners couldn't compete in a sprint because they don't have enough powerhouse energy to win in short distances... but Sprinters would lose in a marathon because they only know how to give out short term bursts of speed... they don't know how to control their output.

I was thinking that it would be neat if writers could be a good mix of both. Sprinter authors like me tend to not get as much done... unless they've trained themselves to have dedication and perseverance. Marathon authors can sometimes go overboard with their writing. Yes, they know where they are going and how to get there, but sometimes they take the looong way around. As a reader, I always disliked books that were super descriptive (to the point of being super boring) or just dragged out the storyline. I used to joke with my family saying, "You know when this book was written, right? When they paid the author per word...."

So how in the world do we get a balance? Well, I can really only speak from my side of things. For us sprinters, we need to work on training ourselves. Don't lose your creative bursts of energy and inspiration, but learn how to channel that into more frequent writing times. Don't let weeks or months pass by without writing simply because you 'don't have the inspiration'... Trust me, it doesn't work out so well for you in the end. Instead, start training yourself by making yourself sit down and write. But here's a tip: the writing doesn't have to happen in your novel.. it could just be an email or a letter or a journal entry... but whatever you do, just write!

For you marathon authors, hone in on those creative juices. Discipline is good in book writing, especially if you want to do this for a living or you have a deadline to meet... but have fun with your writing. Don't make it a 'check list' item... If you do, it will become just that and your readers will know the difference. Trust me.

Let's become Marathinters. Ready to reach the long goal, but focusing on those shorts bursts as we go along our way.

So put your music on, get that cup of coffee or tea or whatever drink you like while writing, and let's finish up November with a whopping 50,000!!!