First of all, guess what I'm using for the first time? That would be my laptop. The laptop I got for my birthday! This gorgeous, expensive piece of equipment that was so gorgeous and expensive I didn't dare touch it. :) I should be laying on a couch in a therapist's office, I know. But I got it out from the corner of my bedroom, picked it up, and opened it like it was the Holy Grail this morning and it was all thanks to Nanowrimo. National Writing Month. Allow me to talk to you as if you are just learning the very, very first lessons about writing, as I AM.
National Writing Month is... well, mania, apparently. They, they meaning the writing people... hope that clears everything up... decided that the best way to celebrate National Writing Month was to have writers write like flippin crazy! They challenge anyone who likes to write at all to sign up and join the challenge of writing an entire novel during the month of November. 50,000- count 'em- nevermind, don't count them because that would be maddening- 50,000 words in one month.We have to put these words together into sentences that we make up, you know. These sentences don't previously exist! How many sentences do you think 50,000 words can make? Don't try to figure it out. It's not worth it.
Having never tried this, I had absolutely no idea how freaked out to even be until this morning when I woke up to my daughters fighting over the bathroom, found it to be 5:45am (could be why I sound a little delirious), and decided the dark quiet hours might be best for breaking out the Holy Grail and giving this whole Nanowrimo thing it's first try.
Holy cow. After writing for an hour and fifteen minutes, I'm up to 500 words. I'm excited about where it's going. I'm thrilled an idea came to me and that I'm inventing the sentences! Yet, I'm looking at the clock, looking at my life, looking at my tendency to overthink and try to perfect, realizing how that is SO not going to work for this particular challenge, and I'm thinking this is going to be the best thing in the world for me.
I'm scared. That's good. I'm writing again. That's pretty amazing. Thank you cousin (on the Gee side), Emily, for telling me about Nanowrimo and encouraging me to do it. Did I mention I'm scared? If anyone has any advice or encouragement... it's the only therapist's couch that I would get, so I would really appreciate it. :) Wish me LUCK! I will totally need it.
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2 comments:
I am so proud of you. You are an amazing writer and I know you can do it! I hope to be reading an Amie Leonhart novel soon.
It is madness, but it's a good madness, just set realistic goals to finish. NaNo is good to get you writing even if you don't hit that 50k words.
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