I’m participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). For the uninitiated, here’s how it works (from the website):
National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.
Yes, it’s crazy, but every year, tens of thousands of people sign up with the intent of writing a novel in 30 days. I’ve never done it before, but in a year that has been one of the most difficult and, lately, one of the most rewarding for me, I’m doing all kinds of things I’ve never done before.
NaNoWriMo excites me, in part, because of its playfulness. Again, from the website:
Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.
Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that’s a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.
When I read that, it was as though it had been written for me. How long have I been trying to embrace the whole “shitty first draft” thing?
I admit that I’m more than a little nervous, and that I think it’s quite possible I’ve bitten off more than I can chew for November. I’ve said yes to quite a few opportunities that have sprung up for me, and it all starts next month… On the other hand, I haven’t felt this alive and energized and creative since I set out to write Beautiful Lives more than three years ago. (This time I’m hoping for less gnashing of teeth, pulling of hair, mindless lunatic ranting… vomiting. I’m older now.)
Okay, so I’m sure I’ll be posting about the experience occasionally during the month of November, and now you’ll know what I’m talking about. Feel free (please, please) to urge me on, hold me accountable, rescue me in my inevitable moments of weakness and doubt. (They say the second week is the worst!) I know I’ll need all the support I can get.
Oh, and before you ask what my novel will be about, I’m not sure. In fact, you can help. Feel free to leave comments with your novel suggestions – plots, character names, possible titles for the book. Whatever you’ve got, lay it on me!
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And now for something completely different… If I could sing, I’d have made a movie like this one.
Wild
oh my gosh Judy I totally want to squish our fruit together. That was great! Thank you for sharing.
Novel Name: Flying blind and bruised…..Novel concept: A young girl awakens to find that she can fly. But only with her eyes shut. And 25 feet off the ground. There would be some challenges to overcome……
Karen, How could you not be writing that one already? It’s literary genius, I can tell! (This may be why I’m not an agent or a publisher or a world famous author… yet.)
Yes! Let’s squish our fruit, baby!
Whoo-hoo! You’re NaNoWriMO outed! They say first step is telling the world, so that we’ll hang in there when the going gets tough(er), in week 2. Too embarrassing to quit.
I’m behind you all the way!
Jane
(BTW, Squished Fruit could be a good title…)
Wow, sending supportive hugs your way, you go girl ;) (yes, always wanted to say that to someone… :P)
And great video, thanks for sharing and making me laugh!
Jane, I’m behind you too! (Not physically. It would be impossible for us to be simultaneously behind each other, but you catch my drift, writing buddy!)
Estrella, Thank you! It’s a little scary, but also very exciting. And everything’s easier when you do it with your friends – especially squishing fruit!
J–I have my pom-poms ready! I will be your cheer squad.
But I can offer encouragement in many different ways. I can easily throw down my pom-poms and don my boots if you are feeling that you need a little bit more of a kick than a cheer. Whatever you need, I am here!
I am sure you can do it. And you will have fun doing it, just like all this other growing and learning you have been doing. You are such an inspiration!
That video is hilarious. I love the look on the little boy’s face. And it is funny that so many people were holding up their phones to video/record/whatever. Funny.
Terre, You’re sparkly and wonderful! Thank you! And didn’t you think it was funny that there were actually people ignoring the whole grocery store thing? Just picking their fruits, not looking? What is up with them?
I LOVE being sparkly!
And yes, I did think that was kind of funny the people who just kept on shopping as if nothing were going on around them. Actually it is kind of odd that they just kept on going.
Hi Fellow NaNoWriMo – I know you’re going to do great November! The whole key is outline outline outline… that said, who needs outlines when you’ve got writer-friends and good java.
And hi from Colorado.
LL
I love the reactions of people in the background of this video. I seriously believe that singing about fruit squishing and dancing in a grocery store among people who aren’t expecting it is the key to world peace. I mean, seriously — if we all could experience this kind of silliness on a daily basis, how could we kill each other?
As for Nano,I hope you don’t mind, but I added you to my buddy list. :-D
Lake, I’ll look for you and we can be writing buddies. (And that took way too long for you to hail me from Colorado. I’m just sayin’.)
Christina, I’m with you. We should be in charge. (I added you too!)
I think the book should be about a wonderful crazy quilt of a woman taking leaps into life. And she must have an eccentric pet.
well if anybody can take this leap and succeed it would be you! like a red gazelle through the savannas of Africa reaching it’s goal and celebrating with a sip of the cool waters in a new found spring.
Milli (FOW), I am writing that story for sure! =) (Can you write the book jacket for me?)
Peggi, That was wonderful! (Only, do you thing the red gazelle could sip a glass of wine instead?)
I wish you a continuous flood of words for the month of November!
“They just turned life into a musical.” That was great!
Thank you, Linda. Continuous words would be great. I just figured out how many words I have to write each day to make 50,000. (Yikes!)
Congrats on your NaNoWriMo decision!
I confess that I’ve been tempted to partake in this exercise of letting go and just writing. As a fellow freelancer, I’m wondering how you’ve decided to structure your work and your 1,666 words per day.
I suppose my answer to that question would be, “Frantically.”
Amber
Thank you, Amber! I have absolutely no idea how I’m going to manage this, but you’re right about my reasoning. If anything is going to make me let go of the internal editor and just write, this is it. (Think good thoughts.) ;-)
the NaNoWriMo challenge sounds incredible, amazing, fantastic and just the right leap for you to take now. everything you’ve been doing has prepared you for this next adventure – so congrats and enjoy! and know that i’m cheering for you, of course! (go j! go j! go j!)
and now for book titles:
* “oprah’s favorite book”
* “everything you wanted to know about michael chabon”
* “best selling book of all time”
* “akeelah and the zombie”
christina: i love this: “if we all could experience this kind of silliness on a daily basis, how could we kill each other?” it’s so wonderful! i want to go put it in all the fortune cookies in the world. thank you! :-D
jb, love your book title suggestions, and i would like to get started immediately researching (up close and personal) the “everything you wanted to know about michael chabon” book. ;-)