Yeah, I thought the same thing too: What kind of weird name is NaNoWriMo?
It’s weird because it stands for National Novel Writing Month. And it’s something I kept seeing a lot of my writing friends sign up for in the month of October. Did that make them as weird as the name for doing this too? Yes and no.
Seriously, can you image how bad the material is after 30 days of (no-holds-bar, no-looking-back without editing) writing? Pretty horrendous. But then, that’s what the month of December is for: to correct the hideous beast one might want to call a manuscript.
Why am I blogging about this? Because I think I might just dive into the month-long craziness and do it for myself too. Well, it's more than maybe, because I’ve already signed up!
Yes, I’m way too busy. Yes, it’s madness. Yes, it’s something that I might fail miserably at and not even finish. But hey, since when has that mattered before?
I know how to fail (easily the winner in my family), I’m busy anyway (yeah, kids, dog, husband, house and work just isn’t enough), and I’m a writer (I’ve already been diagnosed as mad. And it's irreversible. I mean, really, who in their right mind would write for a living?)
But, you know what? I can fail forward. I plan on learning tons this month about the writing process.
I do, however, have a couple of things to ask you to honor:
1. Don’t ask me what I’m writing about. I have no clue.
2. Don’t ask for snippets of it to dissect. Even I won’t do that to myself until Dec.
3. Forgive my absence, as blog posts become less frequent. Hopefully I’ll have lots of tasty morsels to write about when I’m done with this project.
4. Sign up like me! It’s not too late. We’ll get great practice, have great fun, and become great insane, individuals wondering what the heck we were thinking when we’re done.
I’m already a day late in starting the book that I don’t know how to write, so I better get crackin'. Happy writing to you too. This might be the best way to get that “idea” for a book out on paper. There’s nothing like now to do what you’ve always wanted!
You are crazy mad! My brain shrivels at the thought. I am also laughing as I consider it. The world needs more crazy people. I certainly seem to recognize more and more of the sanity lacking, maniacal laughing population. Normal is boring! Write, write.
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, really mad! But writing is GOOD.
ReplyDeleteAnd you know what's even crazier? I just read that there's something like 170,000 people doing this! WHAT?
Thanks for checking the blog!
170,000 people?! I never would've imagined it was so many! A friend of mine has 8 completed manuscripts, the only one she's gotten a publishing contract for was a NaNo novel (well edited, of course). So there's lots of hope!
ReplyDeleteerica
I just found out about it this year, too, and I jumped in. I figured what have I got to lose? Good luck!
ReplyDelete"erica and christy"-I know. So many people. I like that story about the friend of yours and the MS. There's hope for me! (well, maybe ...)
ReplyDeleteLori, awesome! So we're in it 'till the end, right? I am going to do it. We'll "talk" when it's over.
-H
Sounds like a lot of free-writing, which, in December will morph into something beautiful. The composition teacher within loves this idea. Most college freshman would probably love to write for a month without looking at it again! The catch is that in revision - that is when the dirt is brushed off the diamond within. I say, "Go! Go! Go!"
ReplyDeleteBTW - I stopped by Sanctified Together and so enjoyed your article on peace. I find Peace similar to the writing process:) - Gotta clean the dirt off to find that diamond!
I'm excited about your month of writing! Let me know how it goes. I'll have to share about my week of writing; it was right up there with miraculous!
ReplyDeleteAlso, wanted to thank you for writing in this month's Sanctified Together Publication. I love this quote: " Storms produce perseverance." So true!
blessings to ya,
alisa
Blue cotton memory: Thanks for stopping by! I love the "dirt off the diamond." Perfect analogy. I only hope there's a diamond worth mining amidst my MS. :)
ReplyDeleteAlisa, Thank you so much! Your publication is just amazing. Blessings to you too! Share about your week of writing! I want to hear. Or blog about it. Let me know when you do.
Good for you! I'm signed up as Ishta - buddy me and we can cheer each other on.
ReplyDeleteLove your comment about "failing forward" - what a great, positive attitude.