Last night, I made a spontaneous decision to unofficially join National Novel Writing Month.
According to Wikipedia, the internet-based event began in 1999 with just 21 participants writing a fresh 50,000 word novel between November 1 and November 30. Bloggers quickly spread news of the projects so that, by last year, over 200,000 participated in the challenge and wrote nearly three milllion words.
WOW!
Official entrants registers on the website and post daily word counts. While I'm not going quite that far, my goal is to write a skeletal chapter of the first thirty chapters of Bryony's prequel (the book has forty total) by November 30 and to (hopefully) extend the festivities until December 10th to (finally) complete a rough, working draft.
I admit that, in the past, I've pooh-poohed NaNoWriMo because of rumors that finished products were amateurish, and that might be quite possibly true. However, any first draft is bound to read thus, and since that's my objective here (It's not like I'm going to let anyone READ this early draft), I'm okay with that, this time.
Barriers to completion include grueling time constraints (Our household had been running in crisis mode all year, which is unlikely to change because of NaNoWriMo) along severe energy deficits because of it. I now also allow my inner editor to peer over my shoulder while I write, which hinders both my progress and my confidence. All editors: MARCH! (points finger to my awesome creaking, swinging door at the entrance to my office attic).
One of my accountability tools, however, is to use my own blog for daily updates and word counts. I'm also setting a one-hour time limit to complete the task. I'm not off to a very good start either. I have to leave in under an hour to take Daniel to a doctor's appointment...and I have TONS of things to accomplish before I can head over to chapter one.
Soooooo, I'm going to firm up the prequel, finish getting ready to walk out the door, and make chapter one top priority when I return, before answering voice mails, taking phone calls, checking email, getting out for my sanity walk, heeding pleas for homework help, etc. etc. etc.
(Drum roll) LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
According to Wikipedia, the internet-based event began in 1999 with just 21 participants writing a fresh 50,000 word novel between November 1 and November 30. Bloggers quickly spread news of the projects so that, by last year, over 200,000 participated in the challenge and wrote nearly three milllion words.
WOW!
Official entrants registers on the website and post daily word counts. While I'm not going quite that far, my goal is to write a skeletal chapter of the first thirty chapters of Bryony's prequel (the book has forty total) by November 30 and to (hopefully) extend the festivities until December 10th to (finally) complete a rough, working draft.
I admit that, in the past, I've pooh-poohed NaNoWriMo because of rumors that finished products were amateurish, and that might be quite possibly true. However, any first draft is bound to read thus, and since that's my objective here (It's not like I'm going to let anyone READ this early draft), I'm okay with that, this time.
Barriers to completion include grueling time constraints (Our household had been running in crisis mode all year, which is unlikely to change because of NaNoWriMo) along severe energy deficits because of it. I now also allow my inner editor to peer over my shoulder while I write, which hinders both my progress and my confidence. All editors: MARCH! (points finger to my awesome creaking, swinging door at the entrance to my office attic).
One of my accountability tools, however, is to use my own blog for daily updates and word counts. I'm also setting a one-hour time limit to complete the task. I'm not off to a very good start either. I have to leave in under an hour to take Daniel to a doctor's appointment...and I have TONS of things to accomplish before I can head over to chapter one.
Soooooo, I'm going to firm up the prequel, finish getting ready to walk out the door, and make chapter one top priority when I return, before answering voice mails, taking phone calls, checking email, getting out for my sanity walk, heeding pleas for homework help, etc. etc. etc.
(Drum roll) LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
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