NaNoWriMo and Me - Week 1

November 1st kicked off National Novel Writing Month and what was I doing? Well, I wasn't writing. I believe I was still enjoying Halloween with my family, playing Wii and drinking Flying Dog beer.

Probably not the best way to kick off my first time doing NaNoWriMo. But it was a great way to celebrate Halloween.

Now that it is November 9th, I have a sinking feeling that I'm really, really far behind. I'm only 2,000 words into the 50,000 needed to win NaNoWriMo. Those numbers seem kind of dismal, but I have my reasons for only being that far.

I decided to do NaNoWriMo back in May. It sounded like a great challenge, and my other half had supplied me with a great story idea. I had the story outlined, the characters were ready to act out their fate on paper, and I had finished my research. I was ready to go by October. Even though, I still put that story aside. "That will be my best-seller. The story that takes three years to write." I told myself. There was another idea floating around, gnawing at me to be written. It wasn't anything that had been researched or outlined. I had main character. I decided I should do something that I would have never done before- I was going to write that story for NaNoWriMo. Start with the bare bones and see where everything goes.

I don't regret that idea. Not one bit. It's a great feeling to purge something that has been floating around my brain for years. But I do find myself getting stuck a lot. I don't like that feeling. "Writer's Block" always makes me feel extremely uncomfortable.

Traveling and illness also gave me a late start to NaNoWriMo. I spent Halloween and the first few days of November in Cincinnati with my family and decided to take a needed break from writing. Every one needs a small break from writing, and right before NaNoWriMo seemed like the perfect time. I had every intention of writing as soon as I got back home on November 5th. I would be refreshed and ready to go with my new schedule set up specifically for November. Articles in the morning, NaNoWriMo in the evening.

That's not what happened though.

I returned to Alaska on November 5th with a cold. Not a tiny cold either. It was the kind where you have to attend to your runny nose every five minutes for a 72 hour period. No amount of cold medicine would take care of it, I would just end up drowsy and unable to concentrate on anything. I took a few days off from anything writing related to get better. I finally started NaNoWriMo on November 7th.

When I started, the first 1000 words were easy. I had a great opening sequence, if I do say so myself. The next 1000 words were a little harder. They didn't flow quite like the first 1000. I have no idea where I'm going with the story and I already sense a lot of things that need a lot of developing. I've been learning to get over it though. So far NaNoWriMo has taught me to quit editing as I go along and that coffee is a wonderful asset.

So technically I haven't participated for more than a couple of days. From that perspective, 2000 words look pretty nice. But then I look at the date and remember the goal.

Hopefully this next week of NaNoWriMo brings better results.