Writing

Why Does Your Story Matter?

Day five of NaNoWriMo

At the end of five days, I’m not quite where I wanted to be at this point, but I will be writing a lot this weekend in between baking time and taking down Halloween decorations. By the way, don’t forget we get an extra hour of writing (or sleeping or reading or whatever) this weekend (I’m writing this so I don’t forget!).

For the #WriterFriendsChallenge on Instagram, that I wrote about last time), yesterday’s prompt was, “Why does your story matter?” I thought that was a powerful prompt.

I must admit my first thought was, “does it?” That was the imposter's voice in my head. I replied, “Yes it does!” It does to me.

My protagonists are the unseen, living behind and under the shadows. Their journey brings them to the front, sometimes kicking and screaming.

That is my journey too, finding my place in the world, sometimes in the light, sometimes in the dark. The journey I’m taking to become a published author is teaching me I matter and I hope a reader (or two) will discover, through my stories, that they have always mattered.

Why does your story matter?

How is NaNoWriMo going for you so far? Don’t feel discouraged if you are behind where you wanted to be right now. Do what you can each day, pushing yourself a little more each day. I write in chunks of 25 minutes at a time. I set a timer and write. I stop when it goes off and take a 5-minute break. It feels more manageable mentally writing for smaller bursts of time.

Do you write for chunks of time or when you’ve reached a stopping point?

I welcome you to journal your NaNo progress here at My Novel Journey. Read over the submission guidelines and let me know if you would like to be a writer for MNJ.

Written by Ellie Jacobson, @2021 all rights reserved.

I’m a freelance writer and editor from Minnesota, writing my first novel, a psychological suspense novel. Are you a writer? Check out Sparks, my newsletter filled with writing prompts to spark your creativity.

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