NaNoWriMo approaches

I’ve randomly decided to try to participate in NaNoWriMo this year.

For those who aren’t familiar, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. The idea is to write 50,000 words (a novel) in 30 days (November). Part of it is a challenge, to focus your creativity and create something. The other part is a guide, to help you meet a goal of writing that story (finally).

I hadn’t heard of NaNoWriMo until it was already November last year, so it was a bit late to start. However, a reminder via YouTube had me refreshing my account and preparing to get creative.

I have two different plot ideas that I’m deciding between for the event. One is focused on a worldwide therian awakening, the other on a complex modernization of a Gaea-related myth. I like both, and I have a slight outline for both. The next few weeks will allow me time to choose a focus.

Part of me hopes to complete a rough draft of a novel. I’ve been hesitant with my writing for years now, between adulthood’s ugly reality and the possibility of failure. I’ve told stories, to be sure… I just haven’t managed to write anything down.

My dream of becoming a published author is only half completed with my poetry. It doesn’t feel like a victory without a novel of some sort.

The eventual goal is publication. If I like the story enough, I might try traditional publishers for a bit; the worst they can do is say no. If that fails, there’s always the e-book route; I actually enjoy the idea of only charging a few dollars per download with the possibility of a greater audience.

I’m a little nervous that our move will interfere. I’ll be taking two weeks off from work in November specifically for the move. On top of that, we have classes after work on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. And there’s Thanksgiving.

It’s a busy month in November.

But I figure I’ll have at least an hour a day to write, especially if I don’t watch Netflix reruns after work. Moving time won’t be a 24/7 process; evenings will be time to recover (and write, hopefully). Our electricity will be on at one or both houses the entire month, meaning that the computer and laptop are usable; I type much faster than I write, so a keyboard is very necessary to my writing process.

We’ll see what happens! Are you a member of NaNoWriMo?