NaNoWriMo Day 7 + 8

I took today off from work so that I could stay home and watch Blizzcon. I took advantage of the fact that I wouldn't have to go to work by writing well past midnight last night and getting to around slightly above 13,000 words with the aid of coffee and persistence. Today, after watching the portions of Blizzcon I was really interested in (ie, the premier of Warlords of Draenor), I took off again with writing and got to 15,000 words. I'm nearing the end of part one of my novel/novella, and I'm incredibly happy to feel the first plot arc profiling the general life of fire ants in their native environment done. The momentum of the climax of a mini arc and getting to deploy the ant raft made me overjoyed. I've learned much more about ants, a subject I've been fascinated with since being a child, so I'm just thrilled with being able to cram my brain with more and more knowledge as the month goes on. I'm no longer as far ahead as I was last weekend, but I'm glad to be more excited again after experiencing the depression I'd had the two days before now.

Seriously, The Snow Field is awesome.

Another topic I want to touch upon briefly is how does one feel like a writer? Of course, a writer is simply a person who... well, writes. Merriam-Webster defines it simply as:

writ·er

 noun \ˈrī-tər\

: someone whose work is to write books, poems, stories, etc.

: someone who has written something

A lot of times, however, I don't really feel like a writer as silly as that may sound. I hold the word writer up as some sort of prized title reserved for in general people who aren't me. To boost my self esteem sometimes, I attempt to dress like a writer. Yes, I completely realize that writers don't have one general way of dressing. But I attempt to dress up as what my likely stereotypical idea of a writer is. I try to get my outer world to reflect what I want my inner world and representation to be. I'm in the process of trying to acquire some fall and winter pieces that make me feel sophisticated and literate. Pictured are some tights I love which are decorated with lovely silverware. I'm infatuated with Victorian aesthetics, and something about imagining myself as a well versed lady of that era really does make me feel like a writer if only for a little while. So, what would my end message here be? Even if it makes you feel a little silly, don't be afraid to do simple things to boost your self esteem as a writer. At the end of the day, if you're trying and making words happen, you are a writer as long as you're putting the words down.