I'm doing it.  I've officially signed on for National Novel Writing Month!

This is Week 3, and I've written approximately 33,000 words in 15 days. For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo makes the wacky proposition:  Why not write a novel in 30 days?  The idea:  Write 1,667 words every day, turn off your internal editor, and by the end of the month, you've got a 50,000-word novel. (Really a novella, or a middle grade/young adult novel, or at least a good start to your novel).  Sounds reasonable and not at all insane; right?

So what is it really like?  All out, rear-end-in-the-seat writing.  What about work and family?  Laundry?  Meals?  Work?  Life?  Well, I admit, I fudged it a little.  Instead of beginning from scratch, I'm using NaNoWriMo to continue my work in progress which I started in August, wrote the first 11,000 words then put aside to work on revisions to NORMALISH. (Which is sitting at the agent's office right now.  Fingers crossed.)

It's not really cheating since NaNoWriMo is all about self motivation. There are no winners or losers.  It's the international community of writers--hundreds of thousands have signed up this year--cheering each other on.  The first couple of days were tough.  I already had my beginning, had introduced the main characters and the plot, but I had no idea where the story was going.  I also know where my story's going to end up since my novel is an adaptation of a short story I wrote, FINDING A MAN FOR SYLVIA, that I thought would work pretty well as a full-length novel.  So I had a beginning and an end, just no idea for the middle.  The very long middle. It's been really interesting (fun even) seeing the plot twists and turns so far.  The story is turning into more of a romantic farce than I'd planned.

The theme is love; the idea I have that every person deserves to have love in their lives--at least one other person whose love for them is unconditional; the person who's seen you at your worst and appreciates you anyway.  Whether this person is your partner or your best friend, it's the love that matters.  Also, that we should all be able to be our authentic selves.  Life is too hard to go through it alone; we should all be who we are and be with the one we love.

The inspiration and thanks really go to my friend Melinda who read the short story, liked it, and kept asking for more.  "I want more," she'd tell me, and I'd say, "There is no more.  It's finished."  Also to Husband who agreed that it would work full length.

So, Melinda (and Husband), this one's for you.  I'm just hoping that when I finish:

1.  I'm reasonably coherent and won't be found mumbling in a corner.
2.  My house hasn't completely fallen apart.
3.  I've been able to successfully report and turn in a few depositions. (For pay, you know, pesky bills.)
4.  The end result doesn't resemble a steaming pile of dog, well...

Will I write on Thanksgiving Day?  Yes, but maybe only 500 words.  Will I write on Black Friday when the rest of the world is shopping?  Definitely. I despise the stores on Black Friday.

I'm not crazy.  Yet.  Happy NaNoWriMo!

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