On impulse, I signed up to participate in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) Challenge this year. I am determined to complete my Work in Progress (WIP) by the end of November. I thought the challenge to write 50,000 words within a one-month deadline would be the kick in the derriere I needed to finish the damn book.
There was a slight problem with that capricious decision. I am not a linear writer. I cannot write straight through to the end of a manuscript without grinding to a halt and turning back to change something that no longer works because my story has taken a new direction. It is my ingrained writing process. I am powerless to fight the siren call to go back. Every time I try, I fail.
I circle around. I backtrack. I tinker.
Yet, despite my compulsive fixit process, I signed up for NaNo. What was I thinking?
Obviously, I wasn’t thinking—not thinking clearly, that is. If I were thinking clearly, I never would have signed up. I only began thinking clearly after the fact, fat lot of good that did.
My initial panic subsided when on the Eve of NaNo, I realized that what was done could just as easily be undone. I still had time to go back to the NaNo website and delete my account before I made a complete fool of myself or lost my mind or both.
Or not.
One unavoidable obstacle to that plan existed. I blabbed. I told all my writing buddies what I was doing. Me and my big mouth—fingers, actually.
Yes, before I came to my senses, I posted my NaNo signup on the Mid-Michigan RWA (MMRWA) list serve. The five other MMRWA writers who signed up and I formed a local NaNo email support group to post word counts and words of encouragement.
If I were to back out before even attempting the NaNo challenge, I would be reviled as a wimp, a wuss, a quitter before the fact humiliated in the eyes of the local NaNo support group and the rest of my chapter mates. There was no dignified way out and no reprieve in sight.
I was stuck. I was trapped. I was doomed.
There are times when I am my own worst enemy. This is definitely one of those times. My only recourse is to soldier on and try not to embarrass myself by posting a puny word count, so I had better cut this sob story short and get back to my WIP.
Yipes! My iPhone just pinged at me, and I cleared my chair, dang it. That new email ping can be extremely unnerving when I’m concentrating.
Whoa. This is so eerie. I’m writing about NaNoWriMo and NaNoWriMo is the sender. What are the odds?
Let’s see what’s up. Oh, it’s NaNo Week One Breaking News—NaNo has a writing marathon planned for Saturday, November 9 for added motivation. Seriously? A thirty-day diet of extended daily writing time is not challenging enough? Give me a break! Please say it isn’t so, NaNo, because I have the sinking feeling that my local NaNo support group will be gung ho to participate in that marathon. [Gulp!] I would weep, but I’m afraid the torrent of tears might short-circuit my MacBook Pro.
If you are participating or have participated in NaNo, please post with your experience—good or bad. Despite the whimpering and whining above, I can handle the truth—I think. 🙂
8 Responses to “No, No, NaNo!”
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I’m participating, too, but kicking myself now. My wordcount is still sitting solidly at that 1,443 that I proudly posted the night of November 1st. Man, as soon as you plan something, you can pretty much guarantee that life will throw other much less fun things at you instead! 🙂
I baby-sat my granddaughters and their puppy November 1 through 3, so I didn’t officially begin NaNo until Monday afternoon, November 4, after I wrote my blog post. My word count is 1,013. Speaking of less fun, Macho Guy had a meltdown last night while on his laptop; he whined that it is too slow. I’m his live-in tech support, so I had to take time out from NaNo to run the clean up utility for him. Such is life…
I decided against it. I knew I couldn’t cut the writing with my full time job, publishing house and trying to get my books self pubbed. I wish you luck! I hate when I decide on something after I already said I’d do it! Sometimes we are our own worst enemy…or maybe it will just be the push you need!
Isn’t hindsight wonderful? Thanks for the good wishes. I’ll need luck to get through this. 🙂
Whatever it takes to finish that book. Go for it.
I will. Thanks for being in my corner. 🙂
Diane’s right. Whatever it takes. You’re up to it. That being said, ahem, I couldn’t participate this year because I’m spending November fine tuning a wip that has been driving me crazy! Next year. Hold me to it!
I hope you’re both right and that I’m up to the task. We’ll know soon enough. 🙂