This week, we’re doing things completely differently for the simple reason that it’s almost National Novel Writing Month. Yup, that’s right: just eight more days until NaNoWriMo begins.
Eight more days!
As such, there won’t be any Writing Definition, Writing Challenge or Writing Rule of the week. Here at Innovative Editing, we’re not focusing on what to do or what not to do this time around.
We’re focusing on actually doing.
We already went into the details about NaNoWriMo a month ago. If you don’t remember them or if you need a refresher course, you can click here, here and here. And if you just want the rundown, then here’s the basics:
What: Writing a “whole novel,” or 50,000 words
When: Between November 1 at 12:00 a.m. and November 30 at 11:59 a.m. (anything outside of that time frame is cheating)
Who: Crazy creative writers
Where: Wherever is actually going to find you writing
Why: Because we’re crazy creative writers and this is what we do
How: By the grace of God.
It’s an absolutely insane undertaking, but it really is a lot of fun. And it does prompt us creative writers to do what we keep saying we’re going to do. Which is write.
Of course, there are fears and concerns to consider.
Will we actually make it? Can we really write those 50,000 words in a mere month? A month that already hosts Thanksgiving and the start of the Christmas shopping season? A month that isn’t the shortest in the year but also isn’t one of the longest ones?
Are we really motivated enough to accomplish this? Do we have the stamina and fortitude to go all the way? What if we get writer’s block halfway in?
There’s no way to answer those questions unless we actually try NaNoWriMo on for size.
Besides, it’s not like there’s really anything on the line here. There’s no big bad monster waiting to devour us if we fall short. No imprisonment, torture or death. And the same goes for societal banishments, heartbreak or impoverishment.
We’re safe there too.
Win or lose, succeed or fail, we’re pretty much safe from all the horrid things we threaten our characters with if they don’t push on. So if we only manage 10,000 words, 20,000 words, 30,000 words or 40,000 words, the consequences are simply that we’re 10,000 words, 20,000 words, 30,000 words or 40,000 words closer to completing the first draft of our creative writing manuscript.
Relieving, right?
Of course, let’s face it, not all of us are motivated by that lack of consequences. We need somebody to hold us accountable, telling us that we made a commitment to ourselves and we’d better keep it.
That’s why I’ve invited fellow author and entrepreneur Lia Mack of LiaMack.com to run the show for this week’s Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday spots. Today, obviously, is a regular blog day. And I’ll conclude my thoughts on all of this on Friday.
But everything in between will be a wake-up call for all you writers in waiting: a reminder that there really is no time but now, NaNoWriMo or not.