I've done it! Signed up to participant in National Novel Writing Month - which means trying to write 50,000 words (the first draft of a novel) in just 30 days. My tentative title is "Murder in Camera" - and I even have the rough outline of a plot. Tonight, I'm hoping to download Scrivener software to help me keep my characters, plot and themes sorted out, and finish a basic story outline. Tomorrow - well, tomorrow, I start writing - a minimum of 1,667 words a day for 30 days. Yikes!! I'll post my daily totals here in hopes it will help keep my nose to the grindstone.
Given that I have a day job, it's going to be tough meeting that target every day but, fortunately, my friend Janet is participating too so hopefully we'll be able to inspire one another if/when enthusiasm wanes. If nothing else, we can drink wine together and commiserate.
To all who may be wondering how I'll have time to run in the next month, let alone write about it, let me assure you that I will be running - perhaps more than usual since running tends to get my creative juices flowing. And, since at least three of my central characters are runners themselves, I expect I'll be writing about running as well. In any event, I'll be sure to post weekly running updates, together with excerpts from the novel as appropriate.
Sounds like fun, don't you think? Wish me luck! Oh, and if any of you has ever participated in NaNoWriMo, feel free to share tips and tricks. I'm going to need all the help I can get!!
PS As I write this, I'm waiting for the last of this evening's trick-or-treaters to visit our home. The excitement in their small faces reminds me of Hallowe'ens of my youth. It was magic running through the dark, damp streets of Summerside, leaves blowing wildly around us, unencumbered by adult supervision, thrilled by the sense of sheer possibility. How fortunate my siblings and I were to experience such Hallowe'ens!
Good Luck! I've been sort of thinking of trying this, since I got part way through a novel once, and the fragments still litter my hard drive.
ReplyDeleteOff we go :) With all my humming and hawing, I'm actually very excited and looking forward to the month of writing frenzy, Janice! The beginning days are adrenaline filled, so writing all those words won't be so hard, but as the time goes in and the plot/characters/setting grow weary or self-doubt starts whispering harsh, hateful words remember to leave off your writing in the middle of a scene. Sitting down the next day to a scene already written in your head with parts of it on paper is much easier than staring at the blank page and wondering about a new scene/chapter.
ReplyDeleteGood luck :)
You should do it too, Keith! It's not too late. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, Janet. Excellent idea! I'll be sure to do that.
Good luck to you too! Looking forward to hearing about your story.