NaNoWriMo 2006

The title is not in response to my, ahem, heavy indulging of fermented beverages at HallowCon. On the contrary, it stands for National Novel Writing Month. The month began Nov. 1 and will continue in a typing frenzy until the 30th. The premise is simple -- write 50K words in a month or approx. 1667 words each day. Most folks always find excuses not to write. Or if they do write, they piddle with each single word until after a couple of years they generated...oh... one page. NaNoWriMo grants you the right to generate pure crap. As Jennifer Crusie would say, the "don't look down" draft. You just keep typing knowing that the scene you're working on is so trite Hollywood would think it's new and original, that it will no doubt end up in the TRASH with extreme prejudice, but still you keep writing.

I usually don't get to do NaNoWriMo as I'm busily engaged in editing my current 'masterpiece'. However, this year is different. I've already written the first draft of Book #2 in the Time Rovers series and I need to ensure that #3 completes the arc in a dramatic way. To reduce my fidgeting (and the tendency to drive my spouse nuts) I decided to NaNoWriMo Book #3. Doesn't matter if it's dumb, as long as it's on the page. I can clean out the dumb bits down the line. I can't do that if it's not written in the first place.

Lest you think there aren't that many of us fretting over the keyboard this year, last numbers indicate about 655 writers in Atlanta alone working on this project. Now take that worldwide and you got a LOT of folks scurrying home from work, ignoring the TV (and their kids) just to get their word count. Last time I checked over 82 million words had already been generated. Wow.

Will NaNoWriMo make the next Stephen King or Dame Rowling? Who knows. But it does force you to get words on the page and that leads to an improved chance you'll finish the novel. Sometimes you just need to be cornered to get something done. At least this time you're sharing the corner with a LOT more folks.

And now, back to my third book. I think this is the part where the aliens land in Trafalgar Square....