I'm going to say this very quietly:
I'm writing a novel this month.
Uh huh. I've committed to National Novel Writing Month, with the idea that by November 30th, I will have written 50,000 words of one sort or another. This is evidence of a tenuous hold on sanity, I'm sure. However, once again serendipity knocked: I happened to open an email from a local writers' association and happened to scroll down, and my eyes happened to fall upon a notice about NaNoWriMo, and I followed the link. It happened to be November 1st, the first day of the official writing month. I happened to have the book by the Chris Baty, the founder of the idea. I figure I have nothing to lose, other than many hours of time I would be otherwise wasting anyhow - for instance, cleaning the kitchen which just gets itself dirty again - and everything to gain if something decent actually emerges from my efforts.
I have written 5,699 words already (and this blog entry is not part of the count), in less than twenty-four hours. Getting started was not hard, because I locked my inner editor, the bitch, in the back closet. I'm writing vignettes, so far, drawn from my early childhood. The prose plods like a workhorse through a muddy field. It's really awful, dreadful, and yawningly boring, even for me, and it's my life!
I have no expectations for this "novel." I hope I can learn to fictionalize the truth. I hope I can learn to turn vignettes into narrative.
Oh, there is another thing I can lose: my pride. That's why I'm announcing my commitment here, if quietly: so that anyone reading this can prod me along, ask me about my daily word count, shame me into writing even when I don't feel like it.
I have to write an average of 1667 words each day. Today is day two and I've built a small cushion; I understand that week two is the hardest. I can see that. By week two, I will have run out of memories and might have to actually write fiction.
The beauty of this undertaking is that it's impossible. Novels take months, first novels years, to write. Therefore I'm allowed not to write a novel, but just to string together 50,000 words.
Wish me luck, and please bug me frequently.
And if you care to join me, visit the site: http://www.nanowrimo.org/
.
4 comments:
I can't wait to read it no matter how it plods through that muddy field. I like muddy fields. And I'll tell you what- I started something on Saturday that I toyed with making a sort of series or even 'whisper' a book maybe at some time in the future. So I saw this and I thought, well why not now- why not stop fannying about and join Zara and go for it. I'll push you if you push me- the re-enactment season is finished now so I should have time that I usually waste doing nothing much important -2000 words a day shouldn't be out of the way for a rambler like me.
Loves.
Hey...at least you're writing...eh? You've begun!
It is all so easy not to ever begin..and to fall into the "wish I would"...but hell, you're past that stage now.
WRITE!!!!!
grin...it may not be a masterpiece..but then again...eh? Sometimes we surprise ourselves. :)
I envy your ambition and willingness
oooh look you have a blog following huh?
:)
I heard *someone* was finished with 50,000 words as of today. But I'll let HIM tell you if he hasn't already
I'm envious of your ability (all of you) to do this. I can't think of a thing worth saying. I shouldn't even be posting this.
xo
Post a Comment