Oh my, sorry for the long absence. I didn't notice I'd been away so long. I guess I've been busier than I realized. I'm trying this whole NaNoWriMo thing - apparently, every November, folks band together and try to each write a novel of 50,000 words in one month.
I am at a loss as to whether it's possible to write a good novel in a month. Do any of you know? I often see books at the bookstore on writing your novel in a month. However, I notice that these books are never written by authors I've heard of, so that may be a sign.
I celebrated the beginning of NaNoWriMo by slashing about 20,000 words out of my manuscript. Because I'm a rebel like that. You say write more words, I write less. How do you like me now?
So why am I doing NaNoWriMo? Well, I was hoping it was the push I would need to get me back in the saddle. Jury is still out. I did fairly well last week, but then I went to Atlanta this past weekend and got off track. I'm not sure what's got me out of the saddle to begin with. I've never gotten this far into a novel before, so I've got no idea what's normal. Some people take a decade to write a novel; some claim to take a month. Some say writer's block is your mind's way of stepping aside and gaining perspective, some say it's laziness. Some say that if you're stuck you should keep going, others say that if you're stuck you should try something else.
Me, I don't know. I do not think, even with a 25,000 word head start, that I'll be finishing this puppy before the end of November. I don't feel like I'll ever finish. And between you, me, and the ether, I'm terrified that it's going to suck so much it will have been a complete waste of time.
3 comments:
Have you ever heard of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern? That novel started as a NanoNovel. I mentioned that here: http://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/nanowrimo-2011.html
Let me correct one misconception ---> We don't write a novel in a month, but the DRAFT of a novel in those 30 days. Of course, it's crap. It needs to be reworked and polished and whole bunches of stuff hacked out of it. The idea is to let it flow and stop editing it too early. If you need a writing buddy, I'm known as Bookbuddybonnie on NaNoWriMo. Find me here: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/bookbuddybonnie
Ha! I went from writing that comment to NaNoWriMo and discovered "Week One Pep Talk from Erin Morgenstern." A name you have heard now at least twice, from me and from the Nano folks (three days ago). I haven't been checking my mail from them, I see.
50K is short for a novel, but it's a pretty damn good start. I'm doing it this year, too, for the first time. Good luck, Brid!
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