NaNoWriMo cometh…

I have but two days until I embark upon my eighth attempt at National Novel Writing Month.  For the uninitiated, this is an annual event that encourages normal, every-day people to write a novel in the span of thirty days.  The event caters to the “one-day novelists”, those who perpetually say “one day I’ll write a novel”, and the boasters who pick up books and regularly complain that they can do better than whatever “talentless hack” they’re reading at the time.  And it prods participants along with pep talks, community events called “write-ins”, and a big, nasty, looming deadline hanging over our heads.  In order to be declared a “winner”, one needs to reach a minimum of 50,000 words by midnight on November 30.

The object is not to have anything of quality but a working rough draft that one can go ahead with and do whatever you wish with.  Many people have a complete, albeit unpolished, story that they just pass around to their friends.  Some people go back and edit their work, tying up loose ends and turning their 30-day writing binge into a passable tale.  A few of these books are posted on self-publishing websites and blogs where they’re shared with the world at large and enjoyed by a very limited audience.  There are a lucky few, perhaps less than I can count on my own fingers, that have been picked up by a publisher and placed on the shelves at your local bookstore.

From previous years, I have six rough novels sitting idle on my computer, along with one short story from my very first ill-fated attempt at NaNoWriMo.  Two of them are unfinished, as I’ve only won four of my previous seven years.  And this year I’m adding to the collection once more with a satirical tale of a young man who finds success with an odd lucky talisman: A severed human foot.  Why do things pile up?  Well, I suppose there’s the issue of time.  I do tend to find things to do that take precedent over writing, despite how much I enjoy it as a hobby (hence the infrequency of posts here).  And then there’s the fact that I have no experience actually editing large works, as my earlier fictional writings have been short stories and my formal writing classes have all been on writing essays and short stories.  So, it is a daunting task for which I have little idea where to start.

So, what does this mean to you, my small and oft-neglected audience?  Does this mean that you’ll have to wait a full month for the next blog entry?  No, it means that I will treat you to a full month of more frequent posts.  Since I’m forcing myself to write in mass quantities this month, I may as well share some of the good bits here.  Keep watching, and I’ll attempt to delight you with that which delights me in my writing.  And please comment often.  I need to be reassured that I’m not a total hack.

Tags: hobbies, NaNoWriMo, writing