Amongst the crazy things one can do in November is to decide to write 50,000 words in 30 days, i.e. the NaNoWriMo challenge. I've done this five years running now and I do like to keep up a good streak.But.
Writing 50K words in *20* days, that's even crazier. And that's the position that I'm in because I only just started today. This month has been so demanding. The whole fall has been that way, actually, with proposals to write, classes to teach, science to do, education research to publish, conferences to attend and my usual Halloween bash to throw. And then I got sick. For a week.
At first I figured I'd just skip NaNo this year, since it is always tough, and I really don't need the extra stress. But that idea just wouldn't sit right in my gut. I kept on coming back to the idea that I had this great streak going, and didn't I really enjoy the pressure in some weird way, and wasn't it in fact a great way to get some writing done after all? In five years I've managed to produce the full drafts for about 2.5 books. Not bad. That on top of my usual writing means about a novel every two years.
Now if I could manage to get them edited and published ... but that's another thing completely.
Right now is about the 'write now.' And that's what I've decided to do ... so off we go with the scary zombie/vampire story with a dash of gay romance and a twist of apocalyptic flavor. It may never get read, but I know I'm going to have a fun time writing it.
UPDATE: I did indeed manage to pound out the 50K again this year! This was the easiest time I've had of any past year, as well. (So I can never use the "I'm late" excuse not to start.) I think it was because I had a really solid idea and some scenes and chapters sketched out in my head. Plenty to write about.
