Halloween, AKA NaNoWriMo Eve
Here I am wearing my orange long-sleeved shirt, having walked around the neighborhood to admire all the decorations and the cute trick-or-treaters, about to watch a Halloween movie (Hocus Pocus)... and of course I'm majorly distracted with the knowledge that NaNoWriMo will officially begin in a matter of hours. Since 2005 that's what this time of year means to me, more than Halloween or Thanksgiving or even "ack it's getting cold and wintry again!"
And yet, before the past two weeks I'd all but forgotten NaNoWriMo. I had not forgotten, but my mind was distracted by another thing: art. For the first time in uncounted years I have been absorbed in art. I've been taking classes, working on 3 personal projects, and have been contemplating 2 commissions that may or may not come to pass but nonetheless have required my time and attention. I have agreed to (happily) edit a friend's book-length story, possibly advise on major rewrites, and do illustrations for the story, which he intends to self-publish as a young adult fantasy book that he will sell at FaerieCon next year. I've been drawing in my sketchbook all manner of water fairies, butterfly-type fairies, sorceresses, and characters from stories I've been developing for Holly Lisle's How to Think Sideways course (which I freely admit I've been doing at a snail's pace). Other than the characters coming up in my sketchbook, my thoughts have been fixated on working on myself and working on art.
I came to regret this scarcely a week ago when I realized, oh crap, I have scarcely a week until NaNoWriMo! Quickly I developed these elaborate plans for editing my story from last year (I want this year's 50,000 words to be part two of that story), developing a three-act structure for the story as combined from parts one and two, making character sheets, the whole bit. Currently I'm edited up to page 44 in the 124-page "novel" from last year. I've made a lot of decisions about changing character motivations and plot lines and I think my editing is reflecting that pretty well, but it's still... well, on page 44.
So I am resigned to begin NaNoWriMo unprepared. After all, the point of the month is to WRITE, not to OBSESS. This is the first year since my first (failed) attempt in 2004 that I haven't gone into it with index cards full of plot and my head full of plans. I'm excited, but nervous. I'm technically bending the rules since ideally Wrimos start with a clean slate and a new story, but I believe at this point it is more important for me to complete an entire, solid story than it is to follow the rules carefully. At this point I know I can write fast (at the rate of 2,000 words in an hour or less). I know I can write a whole story in a month (my first novel, in 2005, is pretty crappy but it's a self-contained story line... admittedly lacking in any denouement whatsoever). I know that I can be organized and determined in my writing (I've won 3 years in a row).
Admittedly this year will be my most challenging year yet: I'm going to be away for a week, starting on November 2nd, and I will have at least one other road trip in the month of November, possibly two more. Given the multiple road trips, it would have been beneficial to have the usual notecards ready for me to lean on, so I always know what I'm writing. It would've helped to be completely familiar with my story before diving in. Right now I feel pretty lost and I really don't like that feeling. However, maybe it is something I need. Or maybe it will be okay for me to write this first session (of course I'll be starting at 12:01 am as usual) without a net, and then after that I can sit down and really plan the whole thing and do notecards. And even character sheets and maps.
The superstitious part of me says that if I'm not quaking and shivering in my boots, the whole thing will be a wash: I'll get tired and I'll give up and I'll fail. The healthier part of me, the part I'm trying to nurture, is saying that I can work with what preparation I have, stay determined, and win anyway. I am trying to listen to that part. But it's hard to turn a deaf ear to the superstitious part.
After all, it is Halloween.
And yet, before the past two weeks I'd all but forgotten NaNoWriMo. I had not forgotten, but my mind was distracted by another thing: art. For the first time in uncounted years I have been absorbed in art. I've been taking classes, working on 3 personal projects, and have been contemplating 2 commissions that may or may not come to pass but nonetheless have required my time and attention. I have agreed to (happily) edit a friend's book-length story, possibly advise on major rewrites, and do illustrations for the story, which he intends to self-publish as a young adult fantasy book that he will sell at FaerieCon next year. I've been drawing in my sketchbook all manner of water fairies, butterfly-type fairies, sorceresses, and characters from stories I've been developing for Holly Lisle's How to Think Sideways course (which I freely admit I've been doing at a snail's pace). Other than the characters coming up in my sketchbook, my thoughts have been fixated on working on myself and working on art.
I came to regret this scarcely a week ago when I realized, oh crap, I have scarcely a week until NaNoWriMo! Quickly I developed these elaborate plans for editing my story from last year (I want this year's 50,000 words to be part two of that story), developing a three-act structure for the story as combined from parts one and two, making character sheets, the whole bit. Currently I'm edited up to page 44 in the 124-page "novel" from last year. I've made a lot of decisions about changing character motivations and plot lines and I think my editing is reflecting that pretty well, but it's still... well, on page 44.
So I am resigned to begin NaNoWriMo unprepared. After all, the point of the month is to WRITE, not to OBSESS. This is the first year since my first (failed) attempt in 2004 that I haven't gone into it with index cards full of plot and my head full of plans. I'm excited, but nervous. I'm technically bending the rules since ideally Wrimos start with a clean slate and a new story, but I believe at this point it is more important for me to complete an entire, solid story than it is to follow the rules carefully. At this point I know I can write fast (at the rate of 2,000 words in an hour or less). I know I can write a whole story in a month (my first novel, in 2005, is pretty crappy but it's a self-contained story line... admittedly lacking in any denouement whatsoever). I know that I can be organized and determined in my writing (I've won 3 years in a row).
Admittedly this year will be my most challenging year yet: I'm going to be away for a week, starting on November 2nd, and I will have at least one other road trip in the month of November, possibly two more. Given the multiple road trips, it would have been beneficial to have the usual notecards ready for me to lean on, so I always know what I'm writing. It would've helped to be completely familiar with my story before diving in. Right now I feel pretty lost and I really don't like that feeling. However, maybe it is something I need. Or maybe it will be okay for me to write this first session (of course I'll be starting at 12:01 am as usual) without a net, and then after that I can sit down and really plan the whole thing and do notecards. And even character sheets and maps.
The superstitious part of me says that if I'm not quaking and shivering in my boots, the whole thing will be a wash: I'll get tired and I'll give up and I'll fail. The healthier part of me, the part I'm trying to nurture, is saying that I can work with what preparation I have, stay determined, and win anyway. I am trying to listen to that part. But it's hard to turn a deaf ear to the superstitious part.
After all, it is Halloween.