Jess, reading this, I feel such a kinship with you! I also did NaNo 2013, but while I did “win” that year, I’ve spent every year since asking “at what cost?”. There was a lot of shame that came out of that experience, which I can now recognize as nothing more than a lack of life experience and craft skills. But I, too, am rewriting that novel this year--I don’t do NaNo, just not in that season of life, but I’ve been serializing here on Substack since September, and it’s been such a healing and life giving process. Thanks so much for sharing this sweet letter, and congrats on finishing the draft!!
Oh wow! I'm glad it was able to connect with you so much, even down to Doctor Who! I'll definitely make sure to check out your Substack serialization in the near future :)
Jess, reading this, I feel such a kinship with you! I also did NaNo 2013, but while I did “win” that year, I’ve spent every year since asking “at what cost?”. There was a lot of shame that came out of that experience, which I can now recognize as nothing more than a lack of life experience and craft skills. But I, too, am rewriting that novel this year--I don’t do NaNo, just not in that season of life, but I’ve been serializing here on Substack since September, and it’s been such a healing and life giving process. Thanks so much for sharing this sweet letter, and congrats on finishing the draft!!
Oh wow! I'm glad it was able to connect with you so much, even down to Doctor Who! I'll definitely make sure to check out your Substack serialization in the near future :)
(Also, I’m also 27 and was 16-17 during the 2013 NaNo, and also obsessively counted down the days until the Doctor Who anniversary special!)