This month is National Novel Writing Month. I don’t know if this is something that has been officially been declared as such by the powers that be like October being Breast Cancer Month or February being Black History Month. For all I know a few people, writers no doubt, got together over drinks as some smoky bar and decided that November should be the month that everyone should write a novel.
On October 31st my good friend, Shana emailed me at approximately 11:41 pm with this wonderful link to the NaNoWriMo website. The goal is to have us writers write a 50,000 word novel in about 30 days…aka the month of November. It was appealing because they made it very clear on the website that it was about quantity not quality. I can do quantity. I can do wordy. I love words. Ask any teacher who ever gave me an essay question in school. I can make an answer last for paragraphs if I need to. And, hey, if quality is not the focus even better!
However, being a true procrastonator I did not even decide to try this challenge until about November 4th. Then I declared on Facebook that I was participating. Can I tell you that this was not my brightest move?! I honestly do not think that my Facebook friends will tar and feather me for not completing such a feat but was it the smartest thing to take on such a challenge when I’ve got plenty of things to do already much less declare it publically? It’s not like I spend a lot of time writing to begin with. Look back and see when the last time I wrote for this blog….July!
So I am here to publically declare that I am officially over-extended and will not be completing that 50,000 word novel. Nope. It is not going to happen for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is now November 14 and I have a total of 543 words written for said novel! (My word counter on this blog says I have already written 339 words for this blog) Second, I have a job (technically two), a teenager, friends, animals, a need to sleep at night and an even more overwhelming desire to change the direction my life is going (more details later I hope), which takes in inordinate amount of time.
I am okay with dropping this novel-writing in a month thing. It would be fun and maybe something I can challenge myself to at another date and time when I don’t have a hundred other things zipping through my mind. Maybe I’ll pick a longer month because an extra day could mean many more words. I don’t feel guilty like I do for not finishing my running program. But I do know I will take that up again soon just to finish it. My friend, Kathy, did bring to my attention tonight that it’s National Write a Blog Month (or something like that) which seems far more with in my scope of ability at this point. However, please, no one hold their breath in hopes they’ll see a bunch of blogs this month from me either!
On My Mind 
LOL Great post! I have found it pretty cool writing, or attempting to write every day. At first, like most projects, it’s just about what to do, but then, you see things happen. I started to question how interesting my blog was, then wanted to get creative. I actually started thinking what would be interesting, funny, have people come back.. it was pretty cool! Although I started late too (I didn’t even know about it until I saw it posted by someone I subscribe to), it’s been cool to write those thoughts down. And, I had been wanting to write once a day anyway! I’ll keep you posted on how I’m doing, or you can just read my daily blog 😉
I’m bummin, I’d have loved to read your novel. But since this blog post of yours is the first I’d heard of this challenge, you won’t be reading mine any time soon. Although I seem to be doing better on the blogging than you. It’s not just a love for words, it’s an unhealthy addiction.
Maybe someday. I look forward to reading you.
All of that sounds very cool but seems more of a team sport. Maybe you should hook up with a few other writers and try and knock out a novel.