Thursday, November 1, 2007

NaNoWriMo Starts

So. I did NaNoWriMo last year and had a great time and came out with about 40,000 words (nope, I didn't make it to the 50,000 word goal by November 30th.) I have been avoiding the knowledge that today is freaking November *shifty eyes* because I know there is no way in hell I can do it this year, and I'm downcast, bereft, bummed, bamboozled. . . Okay, not that last one but I got lost in the alliteration for a moment.

I kept going after November last year, and now I have a 65,000 word manuscript of a paranormal novel I am steadily revising with the keen insight of the coffee and critiquers. My first chapter is posted on my website.

This year, here I am with my face pressed up against the glass, condensation marks and face grease smudging the window, on the outside, looking in the cafe at Barnes and Noble where the writers I know go to flog their keyboard.

No warm camaraderie from my fellow authors. No late night marathons of writing while my children exist on Ramen noodles and whatever they scrape out to the crisper. No novel writing in November.

I'll certainly be writing everyday. But on stuff that pays me a lot quicker than shopping a novel does. Someone has to buy all that Ramen.

If you're doing NanNoWriMo, I'd love to hear about it. My fellow blogger at A Teaching Life is planning on doing it, so I'm going to live vicariously through her. If you're doing NaNoWriMo and blogging about it anywhere, tell me so I can use you shamelessly in the same manner.

So good luck, all you lucky, deranged NaNoWriMoers. May the force be with you. Always.

7 comments:

Tricia Sanders said...

I am, I am. Finished my first chapter today--1938 beautiful words. I gave myself a little cushion. It's funny how when you turn off the internal editor strange things can happen. My character was supposed to have a grown daughter. But in the middle of the first chapter a 16 year old came strolling in all gothed up. so now not only is my character dealing with a runaway husband, bills higher than the Chrysler and a murder soon to happen--she's got Goth girl to deal with.

Tricia Sanders said...

Guess I should have previewed my comments. That's what happens when you type without an internal editor during NaNoWriMo. Words just fly and sometimes they miss the page and land on the floor. Guess I better scoop them all up and save them unitl December when I edit my creation.

Hope you can decipher my boo-boos. My internal editor is stuff in my desk drawer, so no editing for me.

Anonymous said...

HI! OK, no pressure or anything!!!

zeldadg said...

Goth Girl! Yes! That will add loads of interesting conflict. It's funny how your brain takes over. This is me, turquoise with envy. I'm just grateful you're leaving comments about it -No spelling required.

Now roller coaster teacher, I didn't mean to put you on the spot. Muhoohahahaha.

Tricia Sanders said...

Oh yes she did roller coaster. I'm pounding away on the keyboard...1019 so far, today. but my schedule has me at my computer until 11:00. So I have time for a quick snack. Any suggestions. By the way, Goth girl is getting the lease revoked on her Mustang. Mama is mad...

Tricia Sanders said...

Six days into it and I have 10,865 words...woohoo! I'm more than 20% to the 50,000 word goal.

zeldadg said...

I am unbelievable jealous! But I forgive you because I get to read it when it's done.

Keep the updates coming.