Starting National Novel Writing Month (and a blog)
Hi, everyone. So this is blogging, huh? Hmm. I thought it would be nicer in here, with smarter decor. Oh well. Welcome to any family members who may have stumbled over here. I already feel like a sixth-grade girl for doing this, so no snickering.
I'm halfway into the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) time frame of 1-30 Nov. I just passed 30,000 words last night, so I'm about 5,000 ahead of where I need to be. Which is good, because I get very little writing done during the work-week, so I have to make up for it on the weekends. For those so paralyzed with boredom that they'd be interested to know, I had a dream a few weeks before NaNoWriMo in which I saw a tall, white, crystalline structure, sort of like a tower, surrounded at the base by trees that extended up to its halfway point like long-fingered hands. From this vision, I decided I was going to wing a novel once November came around.
As it turns out, the novel is a fantasy, sort of surprising considering I can count the number of fantasy novels I've read on one hand (1...2...3! Yep, Lord of the Rings is about it!). It's working out good, though, and I've made a lot of characters who are wandering around, exploring this new world, doing good and bad to one another, and basically writing their own story. That, I find, is the most rewarding part of the book: that I went in (intentionally) with no idea what the plot would be. It helped the beginning fly out fast, and since the speed was so high I found myself not self-editing, self-criticizing, or trying to get the words perfect, like I normally do. "Don't get it right, get it written," as the old writer's axiom goes.
Who knew that quantity would lead to quality? I've heard the concept before, that writing more leads to stronger writing, but I was never a believer. But after cranking it out for the past two weeks, I'm a convert. This is the best-flowing and most imaginatively open stuff I've ever written. And all because I write too fast to let the nagging doubts seep in and take hold ("What are you doing writing fantasy? No one will buy this cornball place!"... "You're no novelist, Mr. Short Attention Span -- go back to video games and the occasional short story!", etc.).
I would post an excerpt or two, but... nah. It's still first draft stuff, which is rough no matter how much potential may (or may not) be seen, and is always embarrassing. Plus, as I go further, I make notes to myself about things I need to go back and change or remove later, so it would just be confusing. But hey, ask me in about a year when I have it all finalized! :)
I think this is an adequate first entry. Irina, Alex, and Daniel are doing well. She and I are going to be getting back to our Body-for-Life diet here this week. I had lost 30 lbs in 4 mos, but after one and a half months off, I've gained 10-15 of it back. * Sigh * I'm an idiot.
I'll check in again at another time. Or I could just be one of those guys who makes one entry for the novelty and never returns again. Who can say?
I'm halfway into the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) time frame of 1-30 Nov. I just passed 30,000 words last night, so I'm about 5,000 ahead of where I need to be. Which is good, because I get very little writing done during the work-week, so I have to make up for it on the weekends. For those so paralyzed with boredom that they'd be interested to know, I had a dream a few weeks before NaNoWriMo in which I saw a tall, white, crystalline structure, sort of like a tower, surrounded at the base by trees that extended up to its halfway point like long-fingered hands. From this vision, I decided I was going to wing a novel once November came around.
As it turns out, the novel is a fantasy, sort of surprising considering I can count the number of fantasy novels I've read on one hand (1...2...3! Yep, Lord of the Rings is about it!). It's working out good, though, and I've made a lot of characters who are wandering around, exploring this new world, doing good and bad to one another, and basically writing their own story. That, I find, is the most rewarding part of the book: that I went in (intentionally) with no idea what the plot would be. It helped the beginning fly out fast, and since the speed was so high I found myself not self-editing, self-criticizing, or trying to get the words perfect, like I normally do. "Don't get it right, get it written," as the old writer's axiom goes.
Who knew that quantity would lead to quality? I've heard the concept before, that writing more leads to stronger writing, but I was never a believer. But after cranking it out for the past two weeks, I'm a convert. This is the best-flowing and most imaginatively open stuff I've ever written. And all because I write too fast to let the nagging doubts seep in and take hold ("What are you doing writing fantasy? No one will buy this cornball place!"... "You're no novelist, Mr. Short Attention Span -- go back to video games and the occasional short story!", etc.).
I would post an excerpt or two, but... nah. It's still first draft stuff, which is rough no matter how much potential may (or may not) be seen, and is always embarrassing. Plus, as I go further, I make notes to myself about things I need to go back and change or remove later, so it would just be confusing. But hey, ask me in about a year when I have it all finalized! :)
I think this is an adequate first entry. Irina, Alex, and Daniel are doing well. She and I are going to be getting back to our Body-for-Life diet here this week. I had lost 30 lbs in 4 mos, but after one and a half months off, I've gained 10-15 of it back. * Sigh * I'm an idiot.
I'll check in again at another time. Or I could just be one of those guys who makes one entry for the novelty and never returns again. Who can say?
posted by Nate at 10:22 AM
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