For some reason, NaNoWriMo strikes a nerve in the writing community.
Some people say it’s ridiculous to expect anything but dreck to come out of a month’s worth of firehosed words. Others say buzz off, I’m having fun you loser, or something a little more spicy.
I happen to like NaNoWriMo. Been participating for a couple of years now but this year is a little different.
This year’s NaNo is going to help me finish an already started novel. That’s right, I’m totally going against the NaNo rules of starting at a zero word count and writing frantically until my fingers fall off from typing, my voice fails from dictating, and my souper-dooper mind reader/translator breaks down.
I’m cheating. I already have 50,000 words. Actually, by the end of today, I should have 75,000. So why even bother?
Because I need to finish the novel THIS MONTH. I’ve got a personal deadline for the first draft. If I’m ever going to have a wisp of hope to make the PNWA deadline (initial revision, polished first 25 pages, and a summary) I’ve got to get this thing done.
NaNo is going to get me there. Oh yes, it will.
Just thinking about the legions of other writers across the country scribbling, typing, babbling, and quaffing countless cups of Jolt, Red Bull, Monster (apparently, coffee’s for losers in this contest) is inspiring me to push on. I’m tired, I’m slowing down mentally, but I’m so damn close to the end.
NaNoWriMo, take me away!
Besides, maybe this will be the time when my book joins the list of published NaNo-ers.
