It's that time again. November is National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) and anyone who's been writing for six months or more knows about the NaNo challenge: 50,000 uncensored, unscripted words in 30 days.
Last year I missed this event. I had just finished a novel and I wanted a breather. As I watched the month progress without me participating, I was delighted (and I'll admit, envious) of my writing buddies progress and excitement. I lived vicariously through them, offering words of encouragement when they stumbled and cheers when they succeeded. All the while I vowed to be a part of the great NaNo adventure in 2011.
Has it already been a year???
Now I feel hurried to pick a project and run with it. At first I was going to use the challenge to finish my NIP, but that wouldn't fit the spirit of the exercise. If I wanted to do it right, I'd have to start from scratch.
Mind you, this is no problem. I have what I like to call my "Safety Deposit Box". It's a list of all the novel and short story concepts I've come up with over the years, and I have plenty. At last count, I have 24 novels waiting to be born. It shouldn't be a problem picking one, should it?
Riiiigghht.
I love them all. Where shall I start?
There are a few I can eliminate on the basis that they are short stories, not novel-length. A few more I can eliminate since they require a more seasoned writer and plenty of research to pull them off properly. That leaves about 15 choices and only a few days in which to make my choice. Oh how I hate choices!
So, are you joining the insanity this year? Do you think you can handle 50,000 words or will you crack-up under the pressure?
Find me on Facebook or on the NaNoWriMo website (see above link). I'm listed under both as "Jennifer B. Fields. We can crack-up together, cuz I'm doin' this, baby!
Best of luck to you crazy writer-types.