What kind of writing group blog would this be without mention of the annual novel writing frenzy, NaNoWriMo?
It's November and the weather has just gone down the toilet. Well, except for here in the Seattle area where today, November 1, happens to be quite pleasant and mostly sunny. Go figure.
But everywhere else, the bad weather has driven all type of creative folk indoors and readied them to let loose a torrent of brilliance.
Fifty thousand words in thirty days. HAH!
Hardly sounds like a daunting feat to the seasoned writer...unless of course you lack a plot of any kind, but that's what the pressure of self-competition is for, right?
So here's a word or two of advice to the NaNo Newbies. Before you can graduate into full fledged NaNo Nutcases you should mull over the REALITY of NaNoWriMo.
Fifty THOUSAND words in THIRTY days.
Let's consider the fact that most people around this country and planet (NaNo knows no boundaries) have written things as they progressed from kindergarten through high school. Most of that writing is maybe a few dozen words to a few thousand. From what I recall, most of my essays were under 10 pages, double spaced, which probably adds up to about 2500 words. Add to that, most folks may have dabbled in poetry, angsty journaling, or the occasional short story and you find we've all been a writer of one type or another at some point.
This is good. It means all of us CAN NaNo if we want.
But NaNo IS novelling and novelling is a whole other ball of wax. And it's a big'un.
This isn't meant to scare you off, but it is meant to give you fair warning about prepping as best you can for NaNoWriMo. Even now, on the first day, it's not too late.
I myself am not much of an outline first kind of writer, BUT when it comes to NaNo my personal preferences go out the window. I draft an outline pages long so I can stay on task and complete this self-driven race.
It also helps to connect with others through forums or on-line buddy groups or with just one other dedicated individual in person. That way you have a reference point and a little external nudge. If it turns out you need a lot of nudging, you can get that too. There are plenty of happy task masters and mistresses willing to offer their service.
In short, NaNoWriMo is about complete literary abandon (as they claim). A month to abandon your regular life (but please still go to work if you have a job, feed your kids, pets, whatever and remember to bathe), your insanity, and your inhibitions.
Try something you've always wanted to try before. It may be the first step into a fantastic writing career or it may be the last straw to convince yourself that writing isn't your bag. Either way it will be a memorable experience that you'll be able to regale others with at this year's holiday parties and watch them drop their mouths in awe at the fact that you wrote fifty THOUSAND words in THIRTY days.
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