NaNo 2015 Participant!
NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month. Affectionately(‽) known as NaNo. That annual month-long event, rolling around like clockwork (strange, that) every November, when participants will write a 50,000 word first draft of a novel. Yep, that’s fifty thousand words in thirty days.
This year, I’m joining the ranks of the insane. For the first time, I’m going to do it!
I confess I had ideas about doing NaNo once before, back in 2013. The only problem was, this was my only idea. I joined the website. I bought, and read, “No Plot? No Problem!” by NaNo founder Chris Baty.
And I never wrote a word.
Oops.
This year is different. It’s true, though, that I sat on the fence for quite a while. Even after attending an information evening at the local library, put on by the wonderful Rebecca Laffar-Smith of the writing festival Write Along The Highway fame, I sat on the fence. Ah, pretty white picket fences. Don’t you love them? So fanciful, so romantic, and not so high that you can’t glimpse the big, exciting outside from your own safe little world — but oh-so-incredibly hard and sharp when you happen to be straddled across them!
The thing about fence-sitting is that, eventually, you have to get off the fence. Whichever side you choose, it’s too uncomfortable to fence-sit for long. Unless you’re fortunate enough to have a fence built like an armchair, in which case by all means feel free to stay seated indefinitely. Especially if you have a minion or two to keep you supplied with food, coffee and wine.
However, by and by your time-sensitive opportunity will pass, and when you allow that to happen you’re making your decision.
I’m honestly not too sure why I chose the big, exciting unknown this year, except that I’m now much more serious about writing. The role of writing in my life is pivotal. I’m terrified, of course, but I’m more terrified of being stuck in a rut than I am of taking part in this mad something that is NaNo.
My NaNo Novel
I’m not sure whether this novel will be women’s fiction (aka “chick lit”) or literary fiction, but I do intend to write the sort of novel I enjoy reading. What it actually turns out like is anybody’s guess at this point. First drafts are always notoriously dreadful.
As another first for me, I’m plotting madly and developing my characters ahead of time. The more I do, the more I think I need more time! Mapping out a novel is no small task. I know some folks are “pantsters” (flying on the seat of their pants) but so far that doesn’t appear to have worked terribly well for me, so I’m being quite radical here and I’m actually thinking ahead. I know this is somewhat out of character but no, I am not ill. I merely wish to give myself the best possible chance of “winning”, that is, attaining the 50,000 words within the 30 days of November.
Winning
Speaking of winning, I’m definitely going into this with the goal of succeeding. There’s not a lot of point if that’s not the case. I don’t normally have to set an alarm to get up in the mornings but for the month of November, hubby will be waking me early in order to give me the best chance of getting my words done before my daily duties get away with me. Unfortunately, life doesn’t stop just because it’s NaNo, although I have yet to figure out why not. For some strange reason, I still have clients and family and other day-to-day things to deal with. What’s up with that?
There is, of course, always a chance that things don’t go according to plan. That’s life. And if that turns out to be the case, I’m not going to beat myself up over it. I’m going into this with the attitude that any number of words, be it 5,000 or 50,000, is that many more than I probably would otherwise have written.
Still a win! Right?
But given that I’m one of those people who work best with deadlines, I think I have a fighting chance with NaNo.
Well, I’ll know by November 30!
Join Me
NaNoWriMo — does it strike joy or fear into your heart? Or, like me, a mixture of both? Why not take a risk and join me? You can add me as a writing buddy here.
Are you in?
This post first appeared at www.vmtaylor.com.au/nano-2015-only-a-week-to-go.
