Good morning! Today we’re going to talk about finding a support squad, or at least one cheerleader.
We talked earlier about finding a community. This is related, but it’s a little more personal. Think of someone, or a couple of people, in your life who can be your cheerleaders. They don’t have to be writers — they just have to be in your corner! Tell them about Nano and what you’re doing, and ask them if they can help cheer you along.
You could say something like, “For the month of November, I’ve taken on a challenge to write an entire novel draft. I’m really excited about it! I’m also a little nervous. Would you be able to be my cheerleader in the process?” Then ask for what would help you most. For me, it’s something like:
“Would it be okay if I ask for encouraging words now and then? Sometimes I just need reminders that I can keep going and it really helps to know you support me!”
The caveat to this is, there will be people in your life who love you, but will tell you you can’t do it. Implicitly or explicitly. They might mean well, but you need to shut them out. They will drain you. I don’t know why they do what they do, but you have to find a way to keep them out of your creative business. It might be simply, not talking to them about what you’re doing. Or, if that’s difficult in your situation, gently asking them for space, and to refrain from commenting on what you’re doing.
If you have a couple friends who are also doing Nano, no worries! You can be each other’s support squad. That said, be aware of your dynamics with these friends, too. You might react really well to a little friendly competition, comparing word counts and so on. Or it might send you into a funk when you feel like you’re falling behind, if you don’t make the same word count that day. It’s perfectly fine and good for you and your friends if you tell them, “Actually, I don’t really want to compare word counts with you all — it makes me too anxious! Is it okay if we just check in give encouragement?”
The more you can understand yourself, the more control you can take over the kind of support you need.
The point is, we ALL need a little help, a little push, a little reminder that we are AWESOME, now and then. 🙂
<3