Such A Novel Idea …
My friend, Alice, is going to write a novel in 30 days. She has to be the gutsiest pal I know! Or sort of know. I mean, I’ve traded comments with her for a couple of months now on our blogs. Whatever … I am really impressed with Alice and the others who have committed to take on this challenge for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I’ve thought about it all day … ever since I read her darned blog … like I might even consider entering myself? What in the world am I thinking?
Essentially I’d have to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days … why that’s about (let’s see, 30 into 50,000 … make it easier say 3 into 5,000 … That’s, one, carry the 2, that’s 6, carry 2 more … Oh forget it) That’s a lot of words. I probably don’t even say that many words in a day. Maybe if I combined all the words I type in a day with all the words I speak in a day with all the words I think in a day … maybe. There wouldn’t even be time to edit what I wrote … which may be a good thing since I tend to be too wordy. At least that would get me done faster. I can’t remember reading anywhere on the site that it had to be a super quality novel. Surely I can write a superb substandard novel in 30 days.
Of course, there is the problem of topic matter. I generally sit around several days thinking up topic matter when I have an assigned writing … how could I ever come up with an idea for a novel between now and Nov. 1st? Another expletive! But it’s such a novel idea … (rofl at my own wit). Man, any other month but November or December … or June or July or August … or January. Surely you can’t write a novel, particularly in 30 days, if it isn’t convenient?
Sigh … But, (this is me thinking out loud now … well not out loud … quietly) wouldn’t it just be beyond wonderful to accomplish something like that? Just to know I did it? What’s the worst that could happen? I start it but not finish it on time? I write it and it doesn’t make sense? Somebody reads it and laughs at me? I’ll give it some more thought. After all, there are still 8 days until November.
Good luck Alice! I know you can do it!
Technorati Tags: NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month), writers, novelists
HA HA HA! (Or is is LOL?) Edna, just last night I was lying awake thinking of this insane thing, wondering if it was too late to back out! Now, after reading your post, I can’t, can I? But at least my mind is beginning to grind out ideas. My protagonist has been hijacked (kidnapped in the car?) and something terrible will have to happen either in or on the way to Las Vegas (where he’s commanded her to drive him) and this all has to make some sort of sense in a “personal journey” sense as that is what I’m aiming for. But as these things happen if you don’t let yourself have too much valuable time to think about them, my (working) title came to me in the early hours while I was plotting in my head: Last Night When It Was Very Very Dark…
Doesn’t that sound like a thriller?!!! Hey, come and join me. I figure if I only get to write 15 out of the 30 days at something like 2000 words per day gives me 30,000 words. Then, after November and the embarrassment is all done, I can go back and do the necessary research (no time to do it now!), and maybe I’ll find a glint of a gem there. Probably not. But who knows?
I should also have said, it gets me out of doing most of the cooking for the big holiday as my good daughter has volunteered to do that! And the other daughter will certainly help out a lot as well. My hubby is staying awfully quiet about this though!
I signed up to do it just in case the world slows down … but I don’t see it happening for me in November. It got me to thinking again about a storyline I’ve wanted to write, though. I’ll start working on it and see how it goes. At least that is something positive, hehe. It sounds fun though. Maybe if I plan ahead for next year I’ll have more November time. (Yeah right)