Gearing Up for NaNo!

Writers on your marks...

It's that time again, folks! The writers are lined up. Their sensible shoes grinding into the manicured soil of the track. They blow out a breath, shaking the stiffness from their joints as they focus their sights on the lined path stretching out before them. The finish line won't be seen for thirty days. The challenge is daunting, infinite. Can they do it?

Who will cross the finish line? And who will take a face-plant into the unforgiving dirt?

That's right. It's November again. November is National Novel Writing Month. It's time for the NaNo challenge: 50,000 words in one month. Could you do it? Should you do it? Who are these lunatics who volunteer for such a grueling, treacherous suicide mission??

Well, those lunatics you're referring to would be writers! This year, I am one of those lunatics. 

For the last two years I have longed to join the ranks of the racers, but this or that prevented me from doing so. This year, I am in between novels. I have cleared my calender and I have no deadlines to meet or any outstanding obligations to stop me from going all in.

What is NaNo, you ask?

Also referred to as NaNoWriMo, it's a creative abbreviation for National Novel Writing Month. 

Most active writers know about the month of November. Somehow and somewhere, a challenge was born: Write 50,000 words or an entire novel in one month's time. This challenge caught fire and spread worldwide. NaNo now has it's own website. New local chapters and support groups are popping up every year. I have a local NaNo chapter right here in Salem, as a matter of fact. NaNo is not a fad. It's here to stay, and this year, by Jove, I'm going to do it!

As you can see from the NaNo coat of arms just above, writers only need four things to survive the month of November: Pen, paper, computer and a bottomless cup of coffee for fuel. Sounds like heaven to me!

If you're not a writer, but you have friends or a family member that writes, it's safe to say that you can kiss them goodbye for the entire month. Being that today is October 31st, I have already said my goodbyes to my family. I have installed a sturdy lock on my office door, cooked and frozen meals in advance for my inevitably hungry family and, last but not least, I have invested in a pair of headphones that render me virtually deaf to the world around me. 

With the exception of a house fire or earthquake, my family knows that they won't see their mother/wife for an entire month. You can expect the same from the writer in your life. They are not dead. They have not been abducted by aliens. Don't call the police or search and rescue. They're fine. They're just writing. You'll have to fend for yourselves for a while. 

You have only one job to do. When your beloved writer comes up for air on December 1st, be there for them. Let them vent their frustrations and triumphs to you. Then, with a smile on your face and a gentle spirit, read what they have created in the heated race they've just won. I'll bet it will be their best work yet. 

HAPPY NANO TO ALL, AND MAY THE MUSE BE WITH YOU!!

NaNo Fever

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.