Advance warning: In approximately three days I will be in a terrible, awful, extremely bad mood and it will last for approximately three weeks at which point in time I will pretend that the whole nasty, sordid experience never happened.  Fortunately, the rejection I will be reliving or experiencing anew over that three-week period will make all writing rejections pale in comparison and make me a stronger, more determined writer in 2013.

And as soon as work stops actually employing me so often (which is nice for the bank account and bad for the writing progress and would’ve been nice to have happen about five months ago, possibly allowing me to avoid the rejection referenced above), I will put my newfound imperviousness to work and hopefully end 2013 with three novels.  (Two from the one I decided to split in half and that other one I keep meaning to write that is currently a short story.)

In the spirit of motivation, (I know some of you Nanoers have to be dragging right now) I present you with Chuck Wendig, 25 Motivational Thoughts For Writers.  Said as only he can say it.  (I should really print the infographic at the top and paste it to every mirror in my house.)  (It would certainly make them far more useful to me than they are at present.  It seems appearance doesn’t matter much when you work from home and spend your hours in front of a laptop.  Or two.)

And, to whet your appetite, just one quote from the article:

“The easiest way to separate yourself from the unformed blobby mass of ‘aspiring’ writers is to a) actually write and b) actually finish. That’s how easy it is to clamber up the ladder to the second echelon. Write. And finish what you write. That’s how you break away from the pack and leave the rest of the sickly herd for the hungry wolves of shame and self-doubt. And for all I know, actual wolves.”

So, whatever it is you’re writing.  Finish it.  Even if you don’t finish by the end of the month, still finish it.  Even if you use it to light the fireplace, still finish it.  (Although it’s kind of fun to go back and laugh at what you wrote years later, so maybe save a copy somewhere that only you can access.)