A blogger friend of mine, Kathan, is trying to convince herself to participate in NaNoWriMO, National Novel Writing Month. I wrote the following paragraphs to Kathan in a comment on her blog in hopes of encouraging her to go for it.
"I just came from posting a NaNoWriMo gadget on my blog. I need to commit to the task. With the proper motivation, I'm off and running. I took the challenge last year and it worked for me.
I find joy in just writing what comes to mind without any preparation. I find my imagination works rather well when I don’t censor myself. Last year, I wrote approximately 1,666 words per day which is 50,000 divided by 30 days. On weekdays, even after working 8 hours, I didn’t have any trouble reaching my daily word goal. On weekends, I would usually go over my daily quota. We were going away for a few days at Thanksgiving, so I worked extra hard so I’d reach 50,000 before we left.
I really don’t care what I write. It doesn’t matter. I don’t have to share my writing with anybody. I can write a dozen or more chapters that are totally unrelated to each other if I want and still call it a novel. To me, NaNoWriMo is just a good excuse to write with abandon.
I’ll probably just sit down on November 1st and let my mind go. My novel may begin with my main character leaving a note for her husband telling him that she wants to live her childhood dream of being a truck driver. She’ll take her Chevy Avalanche and just go.
I’m not giving it any more thought than that. I’m planning to have fun throughout the month of November going places and meeting people I don’t even know about yet.
Call me crazy or follow my example. Since at least part of you is interested, I say go for it. If you write 100 words and stop, you haven’t failed. You’ve written 100 words. If you write for one week and stop, you haven’t failed. You’ve written for 7 days and that’s something to feel good about.
Don’t put any pressure on yourself and I bet you’ll have some fun."
(Interested persons can go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/ for all the details).
15 comments:
You are an excellent cheerleader, Shaddy!
Sound advice. Sometimes you just have to write out of nowhere and for noone but yourself.
Thanks for the boost Shaddy! I know you will enter nano month with the energy you tackle every other project you do.
You are a good cheerleader, Shaddy! I responded on my blog, but I fear you may have convinced me...
DAYNER, DARKSCULPTURES, PARROT AND KATHAN: We've nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Hooray!!! She's gonna do it!! Way to go Shaddy, you're a great encourager :)
I'm so proud of you for taking on NanoWriMo again this year. You make it sound exhilerating! I admit, I wish I could read what you write for it.
SARIE: Did I ever send you what I wrote last year?
I'm glad you reposted your comment to Kathan here because I was going to write and tell you that I thought it was brilliant. (Yeah, brilliant. I mean it.)
I am the road trip queen (just got back from one last night!) and my last year's NaNo novel -- still a WIP -- was/is a road trip.
You are right. You WILL end up in some amazing places in your road trip.
I'm psyched.
Shaddy - Have you registered yet? I was looking to add you as a writing buddy and I didn't see you under Shaddy, Cheryl or Papercut Screams. What name will you register with? I'm there under Parrot.
NATASHA: November is sneaking up on us, but we'll be ready, right!!
PARROT: I registered under Shaddy. At least I think I'm registered; my page states I'm an official participant for this year. I haven't been on the site much at all and when I was I couldn't figure out how to add "writing buddies." I'll go back there ASAP.
I found you! If you didn't find the way to add buddies - you have to go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/search/author
PARROT: I'm glad you found me. I'll be adding you as a buddy ASAP.
You've got me considering it... I tend to get into something, obsess over it, get overwhelmed and resentful, and eventually drop it. Well, maybe I could go into this exercise with a looser hold and a more laid-back attitude. I'll think (not obsess) over this decision for a bit and maybe give it a go. Shaddy, you have such a great energy about you that inspires me out of my comfort zone... thanks! :)
You are like "the force." I find myself wanting to go the nanowrimo website. . . .
p.s. for some reason, I am showing up on your map (and other people's, too) as visiting you from Columbia, SC rather than Pensacola. Go figure!
This is just the sort of inspiration I've been looking for. Thanks for sharing your encouraging words to a friend as well as your enthusiasm.
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