So, either I just finished week 3 or just started week 4 of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I’m never exactly sure where we are on this thing. (And yet, just for the record, I do not believe the rumors that NaNoWriMo kills brain cells. That’s just silly… I think…)
No matter. Whether ending a week or starting one, today I finally got it right.
I wrote 5,414 Nano words today. Sadly, that just caught me up. I’m now on track, whereas before today I was languishing a bit in the dust of my fellow writers, some of whom have already passed the 50k finish line. (I know, right? Note to self: Befriend slackers.)
But this post isn’t about being behind, it’s about the good the bad and the ugly of nano, as I see it now, poised at the start of our final week.
The Good
- It took me until today, but I think I’m finally learning the true meaning of the word DRAFT. Writing 5,414 words on the same day that I did laundry, went to the grocery store, called my mom, and typed this post would be impossible if I were also worrying about the poetry of it all. Yesterday it dawned on me that writing a 50k novel in 30 days is like story boarding a movie. All the key elements are there, but no one should mistake it for the final product.
- There is something in the frantic pace of Nano, in the chaotic impact it has had on my life, that bleeds into the actual writing. I am far more willing to veer off course than I was when I wrote Beautiful Lives. There is a certain amount of daring that is required when you’re moving this fast. I veer off course and see what happens. More than ever before, imagination rules my writing day.
- I am proving something to myself. Choosing to do Nano was a lark. Choosing, once I started, to take it seriously was a leap, an act of faith, as all creative endeavors are.
The Bad
- This is crazy! And, in fact, I feel crazy a lot of the time. Overwhelmed. Guilty about the things I’m not getting to. I sleep less. I eat at irregular intervals. Today, I did not go outside (or even look out the window) until 5 pm! Which prompted me to suggest that writers would make good vampires.
- It’s (more than) a little stressful to feel like you never quite have control of your novel. It’s the kind of thing that wakes you up in the middle of the night and sends you wandering in search of your muse.
The Ugly
- The ugly is me, most days, typing from my fetal position, hair like a red-headed Einstein, mumbling incoherently, scaring the boy.
- The kitchen is ugly too. I work upstairs, especially now that it’s winter because heat rises. The kitchen is downstairs. I live with three boys and a big, unruly dog. Left to their own devices – which they so often are these days – they can make a kitchen downright scary.
But here’s the best thing about nano. The cheerleaders. There are the other Nano writers, of course. Tweet that you’re struggling, and you get a flurry of tweets telling you it’ll be okay and urging you not to give up. My friends call, and email, and post encouragement on Facebook. My family carries on bravely in the face of my neglect.
And Karen from Mentor sent me a button! I got it today in the mail and I’m floating three feet off the ground because of it. I put it on the bulletin board above my desk. (Some people might call it a dream board, but I don’t because I’m not prone to such woo-woo phrasing… but a dream board is totally what it is). The button says “I believe in j.” It’s so wonderful, I took a picture of it so you could see. I put the button right next to the picture of me and MC because a) I know you all secretly wanted to see it, and b) Karen will understand that’s a place of honor.
Thank you so much, KS! You rock my Nano world and beyond!
You’re welcome baby. I’m so glad you like it.
[and my friend who made it for me says you're welcome too]
To celebrate my brain being fried by the NaNo experience I’m sporting THREE buttons on my winter coat at the moment.
“I write therefore I am”
“I believe in j”
“Nano ’09″
The first one so I will remember why I started this insane challenge,
The second one for obvious reasons,
And the third one so I can blame NaNo on any traffic violations that I get stopped for.
The officer will pull me over, look at my wild eyes and frantic hair, see the button, realize the pressure that I’m under and say it’s ok Karen, I’ll let you off with a warning this time….. but that excuse only works in November……..
I love this post! Especially this: “imagination rules my writing day”. And your dream board (because I use woo woo phrasing like there’s no tomorrow). And your button. And the lovely pic of you and Michael Chabon. And every single thing you wrote about Nano! I agree absolutely. And I don’t hate you even though you’re ahead of me in word count …
Great post, J. Someone gave me a good thing to with guilt. Her suggestion was to just leave it at a bus stop so I’d always know where it is. I did something slightly different. It was when I was tending bar in the City.
Write guilt on a piece of paper and put it where you’ll know you can find it.
I wrote it on a scrap of paper, then put it in a box of Tampax I kept in the bathroom. I felt great, felt like I got guilt off my mind.
The next night, when guilt started to cross my mind, just to make sure it was there, I opened the box of tampax and lo and behold, there it was. My guilt. safe and sound. I felt great!
I was off the next three nights, didn’t think about it at all. Guilt would waft across my mind on occasion, and then I would remember where I could find it and so didn’t have to think about it.
On Monday (first night back), about halfway through the evening, I remembered my note, went to the bathroom to check on my guilt, and the box of Tampax was gone. Someone had run off with it, and, apparently, my guilt, because I realized I no longer felt guilty.
So, just my contribution to your Nanowrimo journey.
You go girl. It makes me rethink my commitment to commit.
Karen, Yes… I keep thinking that magically everything will right itself in December, and then I remember that it wasn’t quite all straight and true before nano. Where’s are work-in-progress tshirts? Hmmm…
Belle, Ha! I didn’t hate you for ALL that time you were ahead either. Or for how many more books you’ve read and written up than I have, or for how you can type and play games and treadmill at the same time. Over-achiever!
Karen H, I LOVE that story. And for some reason I haven’t quite sorted out, I love that it was a tampon box. This month, I need a scroll to write my guilt(s) on… then I’ll store it in the kitchen where no one will ever find it!
What a great post! Keep going –
Hi, Becky! Thank you! I think I’ve put it off long enough for today. About to take the nano plunge!
Sorry, but is that a cow with a flower in her mouth on your dream board? Is the cow symbolic in nature? Does it affect the overall chi of your workplace?
The cow isn’t the first thing I noticed; first is obviously MC, of whom I stared at for a full thirty minutes before the cow came to play. Maybe the cow is there to divert your eyes off MC. Good thinking.
I’ve had that thought about needing to befriend slackers too . . . when I read all that you are accomplishing! Still, I do feel inspired even if I know I’ll never have your kind of energy. I am sooo living vicariously through your achievements. I loved Karen’s post too, that was priceless.
I have to say, after reading Tricia’s post, I realized (it left my mind right away) the first thing that hit me about your message board was (and maybe this will freak you out) that I saw some kind of resemblance between your son and MC. Is that just me?? Is there something you are not telling us? hahaha JK! I think actually there is something in the ‘cut of his gib’ that is like your hubby’s — do you see it? Same kind of skin tone, dramatic shading around the eyes and I think the cheekbones. I’m not sure. I often notice things about people’s appearances. Like, um, what size are those jeans of yours? A minus 1??? hehe You look Fabulous!
Still cheering you on!! Oh, and by the way, I qualify for the Vampire thing on so many levels, it’s so scary — I’m scaring myself ;-)
I think the word gib is spelled jib . . . it’s not like the brothers Gibb haha . . . although I always liked the cut of that Barry Gibb’s Jib ;-) My new photo finally came up after changing it like a week ago, I’m not sure if I like it . . . can you see my fangs there?
Tricia, The cow with the flower in its mouth was a doodle for me from my friend, Jay (who collaborated with me on my totally famous bat post). And, of course, NOTHING diverts my eyes from MC. (Look how close I got!)
Carey, Actually in the two pictures up there, there is a resemblance, though I’ve never thought of that before. But who cares about them, I look fabulous! :-) Thank you! You’re new photo is gorgeous. I mean it. Tell your inner critic to give it a rest, pretty woman!
So glad you’re doing this! And I’m sure you overreact at the sight of your kitchen (be happy you’re not living with my roommates) :P
Hang in there, the week is almost over and I’m sure you’l succeed! Can’t wait to read your novel after it’s finished (I will get to read it, right…?)