writing: October 2007 Archives

or . . . partake of a large, voluminous amount of caffeine to start writing tonight. At midnight it is assumed that the frenzied tapping of the keys on my laptop will rise to a crescendo of artistic expression. Honestly, I rarely stay up that late. Furthermore, the fact that my brain actually works past 10:30 is a hotly debated topic within the circles of my own home.

I must be honest about another thing as well . . . the story I intend to write has gone through so many changes that I'm not even sure what I'm going to write. This isn't really the position I intended to be in when NaNoWriMo started, but I do have the rest of the day to iron it out. I always work best under pressure, so perhaps it will end up being a plus. We'll see what happens.

I know because I just did it. I threw the door open and invited all the pain and suffering that accompanies the attempt to write 50K words or more while trying to shape those words into the loose definition of a novel. Well, loose by the standards of NaNoWriMo ( National Novel Writing Month in November ), that is.

Luckily, the standards are such that quantity is preferred over quality. Think of it as a support group for people who want to write a novel, but lack the motivation to put words to paper. Being a veteran of NaNoWriMo, this year I'm tackling it a little different. In the years past I've had successes and failures. But, I've never tried to do the thing with any attempt at organization whatsoever. This year, I plan to have a loose outline of the characters, plot twists and overall story flow. My goal this year is to not only finish 50K words, but most likely, go over that amount and finish with a very good first draft fit for editing. So, wish me luck . . . and why not do it yourself if you're a budding writer? 50K words is the equivalent to a novel about the size of The Catcher in the Rye.

In order to finish, generally speaking, you'd have to be able to write around 1600 words a day - give or take. Because of the emphasis on quantity, it's simply a matter of putting the words down on paper - or virtual paper. If you do want to be declared a "winner" you will have to eventually upload your novel and submit it for a word count. You don't get any money. What you do get is a handy-dandy icon to put on your website and a certificate stating that you did finish a 50K words. Lastly, if you're looking for a buddy on NaNo this year, you can find me on there as "netanator." So load up on caffeine, get ready to starting pushing the syllables and sign up!