NaNoWriMo.
Today began the greatest challenge of my writing life.
My commitment: A fifty-thousand word novel in 30 days.
My reward: A winner's certificate and a first draft.
My reasoning: Because it's there, baby. Because it's there.
I had heard of National Novel Writing Month before last week. I'm not sure where, and I'm not sure why I had never entered before, but I had a little bit of NaNo stuck to the bottom of the seat of my memory. When I saw it mentioned by someone on Twitter it stirred something in the deep downs, and my curiosity took control and followed the link to see where it led.
Reading about NaNoWriMo gave me those cold, heavy feet that tend to drag me down to the bottom of my ocean of excuses anytime I encounter something that seems challenging. I balked, but the very next day I got an email from Donna Gephart and she suggested that I look into it. I promised her that I would, which had me at the ledge, and she gave me the final shove with a hearty YOU CAN DO IT!
Then she apologized for yelling. But it got me there, so no apology necessary, Donna. In fact, thanks are in order.
Today was Day One. To survive NaNo, a writer needs to create 1667 words per day. 1667 words strung together in a way that has never been attempted before. Every day will bring new creation. There is no time for excuses or editing, only time to bang keys and move the story forward. I won't know if it's drek or dy-no-mite until the first day of December. In fact, I won't even know then, because I'm going to lock up the little monster for about four weeks and look at it on New Year's Day with a pair of fresh eyes. If I can read it and not barf up my toenails, then I'll start tearing it down and build it into all it can be. If not... the wife will be glad to know we don't need to spend any money on toilet paper for the next couple of months.
My Day One results: 1862 words.
Twenty-nine days to go. Tomorrow beckons.
My commitment: A fifty-thousand word novel in 30 days.
My reward: A winner's certificate and a first draft.
My reasoning: Because it's there, baby. Because it's there.
I had heard of National Novel Writing Month before last week. I'm not sure where, and I'm not sure why I had never entered before, but I had a little bit of NaNo stuck to the bottom of the seat of my memory. When I saw it mentioned by someone on Twitter it stirred something in the deep downs, and my curiosity took control and followed the link to see where it led.
Reading about NaNoWriMo gave me those cold, heavy feet that tend to drag me down to the bottom of my ocean of excuses anytime I encounter something that seems challenging. I balked, but the very next day I got an email from Donna Gephart and she suggested that I look into it. I promised her that I would, which had me at the ledge, and she gave me the final shove with a hearty YOU CAN DO IT!
Then she apologized for yelling. But it got me there, so no apology necessary, Donna. In fact, thanks are in order.
Today was Day One. To survive NaNo, a writer needs to create 1667 words per day. 1667 words strung together in a way that has never been attempted before. Every day will bring new creation. There is no time for excuses or editing, only time to bang keys and move the story forward. I won't know if it's drek or dy-no-mite until the first day of December. In fact, I won't even know then, because I'm going to lock up the little monster for about four weeks and look at it on New Year's Day with a pair of fresh eyes. If I can read it and not barf up my toenails, then I'll start tearing it down and build it into all it can be. If not... the wife will be glad to know we don't need to spend any money on toilet paper for the next couple of months.
My Day One results: 1862 words.
Twenty-nine days to go. Tomorrow beckons.
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