Tuesday, November 01, 2011

NaNo WriMo

Today starts the big NaNo WriMo.  Say that ten times why don’t ya. NaNo is the writers dream. It is where they hunker down and commit to writing 1670 words a day for thirty days (really it is 1666.6 but hey, I rounded it off for good reason). The point being that you will have a 45,000 word, rough draft of a novel and you as a writer can shout out a YEEHAAA!!!

NaNo is a no no for me. I don’t like to make plans and commit to something as big as a thirty day writing frenzy. I don’t like cliques and clubs, and I’m trying to free myself from some negative things right now, so nano would only bring me down and not UP. Just think, if I choose to write a novel, I can sit here and belt out 2000 words a day for two months and not feel one bit like a pressure cooker about to blow!

National Novel Writing Month is a well respected force of nature in the writing world. I’m just wondering if any well known artists will claim that their published novel was a product of NaNo? Come on Mr. King, you know you want to tell the world you’re a NaNo fan!

From wikipedia:

National Novel Writing Month - also known as NaNoWriMo is an annual internet-based creative writing  project which challenges participants to write 50,000 words of a new novel between November 1 and November 30. Its sister event is a script-writing challenge taking place in April called Script Frenzy. The project started in July 1999 with just 21 participants, but by the 2010 event over 200,000 people took part - writing a total of over 2.8 billion words.

Writers wishing to participate first register on the project's website, where they can post profiles and information about their novels, including synopsis and excerpts. Word counts are validated on the site, with writers submitting a copy of their novel for automatic counting. Municipal leaders and regional forums help connect local writers with one another for holding writing events and to provide encouragement.
______________________________

Who would be crazy enough to sign up, commit to, and want to be a part of NANO? Well, writers of course, because as I’ve said in numerous previous posts, writers are a crazy bunch. And apparently over 200,000 people are plum crazy!

I mean that in the kindest way. A lot of my friends and some who are friends no more are registering and going into the battle with eyes wide open. They’ve got their outlines, character plots, their atmosphere and all the scents (not sense) about them. They will hurl words into space and come out the other end of November with a completed first draft.

So, as I sit in WVU alone, catering to the few that remain left behind. I will write close to a thousand words a day for my blog, under no pressure to achieve anything except a  good post, and I’ll be getting ready for Turkey Day, in Joni fashion, as I look forward to a Christmas day with sleigh bells and lights and music to string me along into the New Year.

Please don’t tell me I just mentioned Christmas. I holler at the TV for showing me Christmas commercials BEFORE Halloween and here I am mentioning it too? Ugh...

Let the writing frenzy begin. Good luck to you all!

No comments: