Well, Halloween has come and gone and now it is time to get
back to real life, in which there’s no people walking around wearing spider
pantyhose or rainbow wigs. Sigh….
On a happier note, I’ve decided to attempt NaNoWriMo this
year. Woohoo! Bells and whistles! For anyone who’s unaware exactly what this
means, it stands for National Novel Writing Month. The only requirement is that
you write 50,000 words in the month of November. I have to admit, I wish the
creators of this monstrous, delicious idea had chosen a different month.
What were they thinking, setting up NaNoWriMo during
Thanksgiving, and in the lead-up to Christmas? Don’t they know I have kids?
Like a million of them? I’ll be panicked, typing with bloodshot eyes and
trembling fingers in between story reading, tooth brushing, homework helping,
and baking…all the baking!
Admittedly, participation is voluntary. I just may be
volunteering to drive myself to the loony bin in early December. Already, I’m a
bit behind on my ambitious plan. What with all the happenings in my life over
the last 5 weeks, I totally forgot I wanted to try NaNoWriMo this year. I’d
planned to outline all October so I’d be ready to dive in come November 1.
Fortunately, my friend Grace posted her preparations for the
novel-writing event on her blog, sin and inconvenience
(Kudos Grace—you inspire me!) and gave me a much-needed kick in the pants. So,
I started my planning on October 30. I’m trying not to put too much pressure on
myself and to simply enjoy the creative challenge. I’m hoping to be outlined
and ready to really write by Monday.
For now, I’m setting aside my nearly revised underwater
fantasy novel in favor of a foray into gypsy magic. I’ll return undersea after
Christmas to finish my editing and start submissions. Lately, my attempts at editing
feel more like banging my head against a coral reef. So, a break from Sparks, a
break that still keeps me writing, is just what I need.
And honestly, since I took up my pen (ah, keyboard) to write
Wednesday, I am finally finding some semblance of peace and stability in my inner
life again. Whether I finish up those 50,000 words in 30 days, or finish a more
complete novel draft in a longer time, the point is I’m back in the chair.
Writing. Creating. Breathing in the hope that invention always brings.
What hobbies bring you sanity while threatening your sanity
at the same time? What big projects have you taken on? How did you feel when
you completed them? How did you cope if you were unable to finish?
You go girl!
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