National Novel Writer's Month: November 2011

Last year I entered and actually accomplished the National Novel Writer's Month challenge: complete 50,000 words of a new novel in 30 days.

The first time I heard of a friend of mine who had entered the contest, I thought that she was ENTIRELY INSANE. Who in their right mind could possibly manage that!? Hearing that she had worked through the 30 days wearing mostly pajamas and eating icing straight out of the tub, I began to wonder if I too could accomplish such a feat.  I was unemployed at the time and so joined the legions of ameateur writers with their caffienated beverage of choice in the 2500 words-a-day requirement (I gave myself 10 days of 'rest days' so as to not go insane.)

Some days I would speed through the assignment, but most days I would sit upstairs in my rocking chair with my cat and computer perched in my lap and stare out the window, wondering how not to make my action scene NOT seem stupid. And make sense. And fit into the plot. And not be completely pointless other than meting out 2500 words that day. And be somewhat interesting to read. All in all I would find that conjuring up that many words in a day would be as difficult as getting a cat out of a pile of warm laundry, if not knocking on impossible.

When thinking about if I would do the thing again this year, I assumed that since I'm working and so freaking busy with my job in youth ministry that I should let myself of the hook. Scoff! I'm too important for such things! 

Some saint in heaven has got it out for me about this writing thing, because he or she is really good at making me feel guilty and impractical when I find excuses to delay or eliminate writing. "How are you ever going to be the writer you want to be if you don't start now? Who cares if you have a job! Most authors HAVE to have one! When do they write? When they make enough to buy a time machine?!?!"  I get a pit in my stomach. I sigh heavily. I think about running, but realize that St. Writes-a-lot is probably in better shape.

Thanks, communion of saints.

Not that I think I'm oh so wonderful of a writer and so should grace the world - My story from last year has not been touched since.....Dec 1, 2010.  And it certainly has not gotten any better, nor have those giant chunks of missing plot been found.  I'm doing this because the only reason I've got against trying is that I think that I can't.  Or rather, that I'm afraid that I can't.  Personally, I think that's the dumbest reason in the world for anything.

So here I go, November 2011! I have absolutely NO idea what I will write about! Perhaps some of you could join me and then we could bemoan our lot in life together.  If not, I am perfectly open to ideas for plot lines, characters, etc. If it ends up being THAT good - one day I'll write your names in the "acknowlegements" section of the work.  On the first page, in bold and 76 point font.