Yes, it’s that time of the year again. National Novel Writing Month. When all the good little boys and girls take leave of their senses and get down to some serious novel writing. Why, you ask? What, we need a reason?
Okay, fine. A reason, if you must. NaNoWriMo isn’t just an excuse for people to waste their valuable free time trying to prove to their friends and relatives that they can, in fact, finish a novel. And yeah, I know, 50,000 words is in novella territory, and that all you get for finishing is a cute little downloadable certificate that I could have made on my computer. But that isn’t the point either. This is about the journey. No, I’m not high on glass cleaner. Writing a book is a journey, one that is oh so much more impressive when done alone and with a deadline. Actually, the likelihood that you’ll finish a novel increases if you’ve got someone nudging your from time to time.
And NaNoWriMo does that. Forums to go to when you run out of ideas or need someone to tell you it’s okay, sometimes plots go bad and you have to press on. Regional coordinators who’ll send you e-mails to remind you that there’s a “Write In” scheduled for next Tuesday, and you’re more than welcome to join a half dozen other people as insane as you are. And if you’re lucky, you might meet a couple people along the way who share your love of writing and caffeine.
If you’re ever in Puyallup in November, you might see me. I’ll be the guy in the corner of the local coffee shop, hammering away at my notebook with a look of extreme consternation slapped across his face. And if I look like I’m in a hurry, that’s because I am. If you’re feeling up to it, maybe you, too, can write a novel in a month.
Thursday, October 18, 2007