NaNoWriMo week 1 - pep talk 2016

This is my 3rd year doing NaNoWriMo. I've talked about it in the past on this blog and on Puffybooks (youtube channel) and one part of it I've had mixed feelings on, is the pep talks. The pep talks are meant to lift you up, to inspire you or if you're in a slump, shake you out of it. Last year I wrote a pep talk that was quite well recieved within my region, but this year I've not been able to do the same again as they (in therory) have their pep talks lined up ready to go. So I'm sharing mine for week one here, and I hope that if you are taking part in NaNoWriMo (or another writing challenge) that you find it inspiring. Politics note: I don't like trump, but that does not mean I'm team hilary either.

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The world, like the early days of each new NaNo project is a scary place. It seems to get worse every day (that's for both the news and delayed writing) but us NaNo'ers have something that others don't have: Sanctuary in writing.
for a moment, forget about the new goverment cuts to benefits that Theresa May has brought in, forget that America is at risk of electing Donald Trump, pause on mourning for those innocents we've lost recently, (even though it's hard because you're thinking about Raina, who was killed for being a transgender woman, or Renee who was killed for being a native american woman with depression, or the others whose deaths still count but didn't make the news)

Take a deep breath and let your words do the talking, drag those fears out across the page and send them on a flying dump over fictional mountains. Or, if you can't focus on the finer details, let your rage fuel your plot points. Write about the corrupt protectors/leaders. Write charcaters that should be innocent or neutral because of their station but are really very dangerous. Tell that inner critic, that annoying bug who sits on your shoulder telling you that you're not good enough, that this story isn't going to be as good as your previous efforts, tell it to buzz off. lock it in a box and don't open it until after new years.

Channel your inner Hamilton, write like there's no tomorrow. write like you're running out of time.
The world is a scary place. Living can be a constant battle. Yesterday we gathered our troops, we picked up our swords, our guns (our pens) Today we go to war. Today we fight with our words. And fight tomorrow. and tommorrow, and tomorrow. Until the war is over, the battle has been won. The novel is complete. And you never know, your words may give strength to others. Your words might save a life.

The pen is mightier than the sword. And ours shall cut deep. 
Good luck and Strike True.
Pamela xx
[pamela-kitten]