I Find My Lack of Panic Disturbing
Sunday, November 1. 2009
It's November 1, and I'm not writing 1,667 words today.
For the first time since 2006, I didn't stay up late on Halloween just to type "CHAPTER 1." I don't have a new spreadsheet set up to track my puke output throughout the next four weeks. I'm not expecting to spend my Thanksgiving holiday in a panic to finish 50,000 words of a brand new novel. In short, I'm not doing National Novel Writing Month this year.
Feels pretty strange, and more than a little—well—sad. I've always enjoyed the NaNoFrenzy, and it primes the creative pump in a unique and effective way. It's an experience like no other, and if you've never done it, you really ought to. (It's not too late to start a novel for 2009! Unless you're reading this after about November 15. Then it probably is too late. Start making plans for 2010.)
No, as I've said before, two unfinished novels is enough for me. So my commitment for the month of November is to spend at least 100 hours in the month of November on expanding and revising Bring Me to Life. That doesn't sound like much, but it's more than three hours a day on average. Luckily, I can get off to a smashing start, because I'm spending today traveling to the West Coast on business. I'm typing this blog entry from a US Airways lounge in Charlotte. On the long flight to LAX, I ought to be able to get some serious work done.
So I'm off on my own November noveling challenge, different from NaNoWriMo, but complementary. Our MLs said I'm welcome at the NaNo meetings notwithstanding!
In related news, I just drank coffee willingly for the first time today. It was French Vanilla mixed with a "Milky Way" swirl, so certainly not very "hardcore," but still.
It's November 1, and I'm not writing 1,667 words today.
For the first time since 2006, I didn't stay up late on Halloween just to type "CHAPTER 1." I don't have a new spreadsheet set up to track my puke output throughout the next four weeks. I'm not expecting to spend my Thanksgiving holiday in a panic to finish 50,000 words of a brand new novel. In short, I'm not doing National Novel Writing Month this year.
Feels pretty strange, and more than a little—well—sad. I've always enjoyed the NaNoFrenzy, and it primes the creative pump in a unique and effective way. It's an experience like no other, and if you've never done it, you really ought to. (It's not too late to start a novel for 2009! Unless you're reading this after about November 15. Then it probably is too late. Start making plans for 2010.)
No, as I've said before, two unfinished novels is enough for me. So my commitment for the month of November is to spend at least 100 hours in the month of November on expanding and revising Bring Me to Life. That doesn't sound like much, but it's more than three hours a day on average. Luckily, I can get off to a smashing start, because I'm spending today traveling to the West Coast on business. I'm typing this blog entry from a US Airways lounge in Charlotte. On the long flight to LAX, I ought to be able to get some serious work done.
So I'm off on my own November noveling challenge, different from NaNoWriMo, but complementary. Our MLs said I'm welcome at the NaNo meetings notwithstanding!
In related news, I just drank coffee willingly for the first time today. It was French Vanilla mixed with a "Milky Way" swirl, so certainly not very "hardcore," but still.
For the first time since 2006, I didn't stay up late on Halloween just to type "CHAPTER 1." I don't have a new spreadsheet set up to track my puke output throughout the next four weeks. I'm not expecting to spend my Thanksgiving holiday in a panic to finish 50,000 words of a brand new novel. In short, I'm not doing National Novel Writing Month this year.
Feels pretty strange, and more than a little—well—sad. I've always enjoyed the NaNoFrenzy, and it primes the creative pump in a unique and effective way. It's an experience like no other, and if you've never done it, you really ought to. (It's not too late to start a novel for 2009! Unless you're reading this after about November 15. Then it probably is too late. Start making plans for 2010.)
No, as I've said before, two unfinished novels is enough for me. So my commitment for the month of November is to spend at least 100 hours in the month of November on expanding and revising Bring Me to Life. That doesn't sound like much, but it's more than three hours a day on average. Luckily, I can get off to a smashing start, because I'm spending today traveling to the West Coast on business. I'm typing this blog entry from a US Airways lounge in Charlotte. On the long flight to LAX, I ought to be able to get some serious work done.
So I'm off on my own November noveling challenge, different from NaNoWriMo, but complementary. Our MLs said I'm welcome at the NaNo meetings notwithstanding!
In related news, I just drank coffee willingly for the first time today. It was French Vanilla mixed with a "Milky Way" swirl, so certainly not very "hardcore," but still.
Craig on :
So, again, I will lurk - with permission from my ML as well.
Anonymous on :
ready to graduate to pure expresso shots yet?
My morning and afternoon coffee is absolutely sacred.