A Novel Idea
It's kind of funny how long I've spent thinking about to write in this entry, and how many times I've written something and then erased it, considering the subject I'm going to write about: I wrote a novel.
This is said like it wasn't the biggest undertaking in my life in a couple of years, like I didn't bitch and moan during every single click of the keyboard.
It's weird. . . I would say that I love writing, but I don't know if there was even a single time I can really remember that I loved writing the novel. While I was writing I was constantly reminded how bad it was: It was verbose. It was wordy. It was grammatically incorrect. It just sucked. But I was creating something that came from me. So I guess that's what makes me fall in love something: it's multifaceted enough for me to enjoy and hate. Like + Hate = love (I'm working through this in therapy, don't you worry).
I didn't just decide to write a novel. My sister in law told me about this crazy thing call National Novel Writing Month. Basically, you have the month of November, so 30 days to write 50,000 words. It works out to about 175 pages (mine was single spaced and 113). Yes, they know it's crazy.
If you're not a writer, the idea seems crazy, ludicrous, like something you'd never want to do. If you ARE a writer, it's actually worse. You know what it's like to stare at that blank page, feeling like you're trying to get blood from a stone, giving when you have nothing left to give. So the idea of putting yourself through that for thirty days straight is actually really horrifying.
It's kind of funny, because the moment I heard about it, I just knew it was something I was going to do. Not even something I would try. Something I was going to do. My mind was made up.
The novel (in case you are wondering) is about my life. Since I found out about this novel writing thing only about a week beforehand, I didn't have a whole lot of time to think of a topic (Yeah right. . .an excuse to talk about myself for 50,000 words? You KNOW I wasn't passing that up). It's pretty much done, save editing, but will be locked in a draw until my grandchildren read it and can't believe what a freak grandma was.
The cool thing about it is that they have regional events so you can go and commiserate or celebrate with other writers doing the same thing you are. It was in a lot of ways my introduction to Boston (did I mention I moved? Damn, I have so many entries to write!). Even though I had only a tiny, vague idea where these write-ins were (as in "Boylston Street. . . that's in Boston") and how to get there, I decided to brave it and go to them.
The write-ins were pretty cool, it was kind of nice to have that synergy of 50 people in a room writing (another cool byproduct: I'm not afraid to use words like synergy). I didn't get to meet too many people the first half (I'm still a total shy-face, and everyone seemed to already know people). The second half was pretty amazing; I met some awesome people (my age!) that are all writers to boot, and it's been fun. The last weekend of November we had a 24 hour write-in which was 24 hours all over Boston of just writing. It was amazing. SO much fun. (I'm trying to get it all in, it's just tough. . .I don't want to bore you :D). I finished at about 4:45am on the 29th, and let me tell you, even though it was self-imposed, it was one of the biggest accomplishments I've ever felt.
I guess the thing about this experience is that it taught me about life (like all good ones do): if you know where you want to be, you'll get there. Not without a fight, but you'll get there.
This is said like it wasn't the biggest undertaking in my life in a couple of years, like I didn't bitch and moan during every single click of the keyboard.
It's weird. . . I would say that I love writing, but I don't know if there was even a single time I can really remember that I loved writing the novel. While I was writing I was constantly reminded how bad it was: It was verbose. It was wordy. It was grammatically incorrect. It just sucked. But I was creating something that came from me. So I guess that's what makes me fall in love something: it's multifaceted enough for me to enjoy and hate. Like + Hate = love (I'm working through this in therapy, don't you worry).
I didn't just decide to write a novel. My sister in law told me about this crazy thing call National Novel Writing Month. Basically, you have the month of November, so 30 days to write 50,000 words. It works out to about 175 pages (mine was single spaced and 113). Yes, they know it's crazy.
If you're not a writer, the idea seems crazy, ludicrous, like something you'd never want to do. If you ARE a writer, it's actually worse. You know what it's like to stare at that blank page, feeling like you're trying to get blood from a stone, giving when you have nothing left to give. So the idea of putting yourself through that for thirty days straight is actually really horrifying.
It's kind of funny, because the moment I heard about it, I just knew it was something I was going to do. Not even something I would try. Something I was going to do. My mind was made up.
The novel (in case you are wondering) is about my life. Since I found out about this novel writing thing only about a week beforehand, I didn't have a whole lot of time to think of a topic (Yeah right. . .an excuse to talk about myself for 50,000 words? You KNOW I wasn't passing that up). It's pretty much done, save editing, but will be locked in a draw until my grandchildren read it and can't believe what a freak grandma was.
The cool thing about it is that they have regional events so you can go and commiserate or celebrate with other writers doing the same thing you are. It was in a lot of ways my introduction to Boston (did I mention I moved? Damn, I have so many entries to write!). Even though I had only a tiny, vague idea where these write-ins were (as in "Boylston Street. . . that's in Boston") and how to get there, I decided to brave it and go to them.
The write-ins were pretty cool, it was kind of nice to have that synergy of 50 people in a room writing (another cool byproduct: I'm not afraid to use words like synergy). I didn't get to meet too many people the first half (I'm still a total shy-face, and everyone seemed to already know people). The second half was pretty amazing; I met some awesome people (my age!) that are all writers to boot, and it's been fun. The last weekend of November we had a 24 hour write-in which was 24 hours all over Boston of just writing. It was amazing. SO much fun. (I'm trying to get it all in, it's just tough. . .I don't want to bore you :D). I finished at about 4:45am on the 29th, and let me tell you, even though it was self-imposed, it was one of the biggest accomplishments I've ever felt.
I guess the thing about this experience is that it taught me about life (like all good ones do): if you know where you want to be, you'll get there. Not without a fight, but you'll get there.