Sunday, November 4, 2012

NaNoWriMo

Today is the fourth day of NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month.  I am going to try for the 50,000 words in a month to make a novel.  First I thought I had no plot line, but I have been dabbling with a certain story for about five years, so I decided to pursue that.  I scrapped all other versions of the book mostly because locating them would give me an excuse to go hunting not writing.  Then I did head to the website for the event http://www.nanowrimo.org.  There I realized I was supposed to sign up, so I did, and I made a profile, and I looked up this blog, and then I got to writing.

I would still be writing today, but my eyes got blurry after just about 1200 words.  Is this a trick?  I was going to go and take a break and watch "Nashville" On-Demand, but then I thought I'd better stick to the NanoWriMo suggestion of proclaiming:  I am writing a novel! to everyone I could.  This, I believe, is supposed to force me to forge ahead because I don't want the shame of having to tell everyone that I finished November noveless.  Also I do have students from five years ago who knew I was writing this story, but have stopped asking about it.  This tells me they have given up hope.  This is no way to treat a teacher.

In January I will begin teaching a Creative Writing class to high school seniors, and I would love to tell them I wrote a novel in a month, while teaching full time, and parenting a high school and college senior, and fitting in daily exercise for my health, and being a semi-present wife, and a semi-sort-of-decent friend.  I feel strongly that I may need a nap soon.  But really, all excuses aside, I'm going for it.  It took me over twenty years to commit to regular exercise, but I finally did, and I'm fitter than I've every been.  It just takes a commitment to change and the daily work ethic. So if you'll excuse me, I'd better go write at least 500 more words.  I'll keep you posted on the progress.