Six Weeks & Counting!

National Novel Writing Month is just a little over six weeks away. I managed to succeed at writing my 50,000 words last November, which was my first year joining in with the NanoWriMo fun.

I must admit though that I have not finished the novel I started back then. I've reached about 60,000 words on it, but I need about 30,000 more before it is complete, and then I will have the grueling task of editing it.

I would at least like to have the first stage of writing complete on it before starting a new novel for NaNoWriMo. I know which of my novel ideas I am going to write this time, but I hate the idea of starting a new one while the old one stands incomplete.

This, of course, means I have my work cut out for me over the next six weeks. I suppose, since I managed to write 50,000+ words in one month last November, I should be able to write 30,000 words in six weeks now.

Some people write a story for NaNoWriMo that they have no intention of ever publishing. I am not one of those people. I am using National Novel Writing Month as a sort of motivator to get me off of my procrastinating bottom and get me writing. My finished work may not be publishable at the end of writing it, but that's what rewrites are for. I fully intend to edit what I have written and make it shine.

When I write, the characters go in directions I don't start out seeing for them and my plot takes on more form than the one it begins with. I start with just a summary of what I want for the story, ideas and a vague plot structure. But as I write, the plot takes shape, the characters gain voice and it all starts to come together.

So I need NaNoWriMo because it forces me to write. I hope someday to have less distractions in my life and to be able to sit and write without the push of something behind the urge such as NaNoWriMo, but for now, it serves a much-needed purpose for me.