I don't know what it was that led me to this NaNoWriMo Site -- fate, destiny, boredom, compulsion. Perhaps a muse had something to do with my finding that such a group, such an event, such an opportunity exists. For years I have had many stories, characters, plots, and dialogues floating around in my head, and I am one of those who constantly says, "I should write a book." But so far all I have are boxes of sporadic notes and jotted ideas for this and that, and planners with penned goals of "start my novel" month after month. I do have some outlines somewhere, and more journals than I care to admit, but these are trapped in boxes between CT and OH, and would definitely take longer than one month to locate and exhume. So today I joined this site and decided to do my very best to write some kind of novel during the month of November. I have undertaken many assignments in my life and some with very demanding deadlines (I used to work in marketing and advertising), so I am not trembling too much as I begin this new endeavor...my virgin voyage, if you will...since I have never done anything like this. What I truly love is that I have nearly a month to mull things over in my mind before the manic typing actually begins. This is great for me since I enjoy playing out scenes and outlining characters in my imagination. The challenge for me will be to have them come to life on the page in ways that express how I see them without me telling the audience all the little details about them. Can I do this as a novice? Can I create something that will be meaningful to those who read it? Can I adhere to the stipulations and achieve 50,000 words in 30 days? Now I am trembling like any virgin who has agreed to consummate her promise!
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51,757 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2009 - 09 36
Good luck!
One thing I wouldn't (and don't) worry about is making this book "the very best." In Nano, word COUNT, not QUALITY, is what counts. One of my favorite writing quotes is "The first draft of anything is sh*t" - Ernest Hemmingway. I figure, if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me. :)
Don't worry about it. Just write whatever comes into your head and from your outline if you have one, but most importantly just write and have fun! After all, you can always edit, but you can't edit a blank page!
Looking forward to Nano and Good luck!
---ganymeder aka Cathy
-------------Cathy
"I love deadlines. I specially love the swooshing sounds they make as they fly by." - Douglas Adams
"The first draft of anything is sh*t." - Ernest Hemingway
“Done is better than perfect.” - Scott Allen
my webpage: www.ganymeder.com
23,117 / 50,000
oct. 9, 2009 - 10 29
YOU CAN DO IT!!!
This is only my second year in the running, but I'm already a huge fan of NaNo. I've been telling everybody I know about it because I think if you're ever going to really write the novel you've always been meaning to write, this is the best way to do it. The encouragement and the inspiration and the comraderie here is just amazing. There's so much information and helpful tips and cheats in the forums and honestly, speaking from experience, even if you don't make the 50,000 words you'll have a blast and you'll feel good about yourself for undertaking the challenge despite your busy schedule. It's the best. :D
----------"He thought of himself as a man who wrote because he couldn't think of anything else to do with his delusions."
Buechner, The Storm
11,077 / 50,000
nov. 1, 2009 - 08 36
I've really only just started this year too and the 50k goal seems astronomical to me too. But when I picked up my laptop and started writing this morning, it seemed a lot easier than I thought it would be. Once you get started and get the ball rolling, it's pretty tough to stop! =)
Ash