This November, I am a Writer
After a two-year hiatus, I am undergoing one of the most transformative experiences I’ve ever had as a writer: I’m doing NaNoWriMo again.
For the uninitiated, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and the goal is to start from scratch on November 1 and write a 175-page novel, or 50,000 words.
The goal is to get writers writing and what setting a quota like this does is gets your brain to shut off so you can just write and write and write.
I did it a few years ago and it was amazing, you learn a lot about yourself and the craft of writing. To complete the goal, you pretty much have to write every single day, or at least think about writing every day.
So for a month you get to live the life of a writer.
So far I’m at around 4,000 words. The first time I did it I calculated around 2,500 per business day (so I’d still have my weekends) and that worked great until Thanksgiving came around, then it all fell apart.
This year I’m planning on pushing the envelope early on so I can actually hit 50,000. The first time I came in around 42,000. Oh and this time I’m writing on a computer, so I won’t have to manually count and calculate how many words I’m at.
Some early observations:
- Writing in stream of consciousness: That’s what this is all about. To find that rhythm where the words just start coming and you just get them out on the page without really thinking about how good or bad they are. Silencing the inner editor is the key to getting started. This is, after all, a shitty first draft.
- I can type a LOT faster than I can write: After an hour of typing yesterday I had met my quota, and I was shocked. Writing by hand slows things down, which can be good, but it can also get in the way. I’ll worry about prettying stuff up and everything after I’m done. Right now I only have 29 more days!
- There is no such thing as fiction: Everything you write has some basis in fact. What’s happening in your life and in your mind has an impact on what you’re writing, so it’s hard to say that something is 100% fiction when it’s wrapped in so much reality.
I’ll continue to post interesting stuff about money and all else, but it may be very sporadic (you’re probably used to it by now) since my time is being focused in the writing.
I’m off to a good start and I’m feeling inspired!
It’s about time…
Image by binbing
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:38 am
Hmmmm….I’ve got a novel tumbling around in my brain that I’ve been researching and conceptually refining in different ways for some time now but haven’t started actually writing yet. This seems like a good way to get the ball rolling.
November 3rd, 2009 at 6:38 am
If there was one reader I didn’t expect to be interested in the writing part of this site, it would be you John! Awesome to hear that you have a novel going on…and NaNoWriMo is an awesome way of getting a first draft going.
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:37 am
Wait! You don’t think the guy who already has one book published (two really, but only one with a major publisher) isn’t interested in writing?
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:56 am
Touche! You are already more of a writer than I am then. I’ll just shut my mouth!
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:24 am
My biggest problem is getting my writing ideas past the conceptual stage. I’ve got many of them, but have been horrible about getting to the actual writing part. I do have one in the works now, though that’s more of an editorial or compilation related effort than straight-out writing.