How is the 1993 movie Groundhog Day like the month of November?

Hey, we made it through the first week of NaNoWriMo!

For me, Day 1 was great. Yes, I was afraid when I sat down to do my writing of the day, but I liked what came out. I thought, this will be easy!

And then Day 2, I was afraid again. And I wasn’t super happy with what came out.  But I thought, okay, it’s just another day, no one will ever see this; tomorrow is another day. 

And it’s been Groundhog Day (the movie) since then. (The Wikipedia entry is fascinating, by the way – it has some interesting insights for writers about the process of concept development!)

I was going to just end with something like “And I guess I’ll keep on drafting my little daily micros while also being scared and wrestling with my doubt demons every damn day” but I think the Groundhog Day metaphor is particularly apt and even deep. 

Time loops and repeating cycles are common themes in books (and movies). Characters stay comfortable (i.e., stuck) when they do the same things they’ve always done and expect different results. New results only happen when characters change their behavior. 

In Groundhog Day, Phil (played by Bill Murray) repeats the same day over and over again. He doesn’t know why he’s stuck, only that he is stuck. (Relatable, no?) At first he resists, then he tries to make the most of it, then he gives up, and then… he truly changes.

What if I’m caught in a fear loop of my own making? What will it take to break the cycle? What needs to change?

I don’t have the answers, yet. (If you do, drop me a line!) I’ll keep going until I do.