Writing every day, however, does more than simply instill the discipline to write at will, rather than just when inspiration strikes. ~ Dana Mitchell
I know, I know, I know!!! The last time I posted – which was awhile ago – I committed to plunge into NaNoWriMo, but common sense intervened. I realize EVERYONE is busy, and MANY busy peeps still find the time to write 16,000+ words a day, but I HAVE to be realistic. I AM busy, but I am NOT organized. I am committed to writing, but I am NOT insane.
Yes, dear readers, I hear you mocking my commitment and will view my statements as pathetic excuses, but excuses or not, I cannot ignore the fact that writing 1600+ words a day on a novel might just …
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cost me my job – which I still need for 3 more years or more until I retire;
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strain my marriage – G.E. already thinks my computer is another of my appendages, and although he supports my talents, he also likes to spend time with me every once in awhile;
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frustrate my 10 grandchildren who like to hang out with GrammaNae as often as possible – which has not been as frequent as it used to be;
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disappoint my 85-year-old mother – who looks so forward to daily phone calls and at least 3 visits a week;
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ruin my trip to Boston in mid-November – it’s my first time to that historical city, and I’m danged excited, even if I am going there for work;
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hamper my Church calling – which is kind of a big one, but hey how else do I show gratitude for more blessings than I deserve?;
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stress Soledad, my Chilean neighbor, who needs tutoring to help her wade through a community college writing class;
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push me over the edge – it only took a straw to break the proverbial camel’s back, you know.
BUT I have looked forward for to the craziness of NaNoWriMo, realizing the benefits that may come of it. I recently read a blog – can’t remember whose – that claimed the hostess was ready to send off last year’s NaNo book to an agent. And I thought, “that COULD be me!” But when my blogger friend, Catherine Winn, over at The Writing Room, shared a comment on my last post, I took pause! (I know that’s a cliché, but I think it’s rather a classy one.)
Catherine wrote that when she participated in NaNo last year, she ended up with C.R.A.P. (She didn’t really say it exactly like that, but I read between the lines.) So this year she is still diving in, but she does NOT plan on winning – I think winning means you finish the 50,000-word goal. I like that idea – enter to enjoy the fervor of the event but lower your expectations.
MiNoWriMo: a sane approach to November Writing
I decided to go just a little further and create my own November contest MiNoWriMo – sadly, someone else came up with the “word-crunch” or whatever it’s called when writers cram together parts of words to come up with a new word. While I can find the word in a search, I CANNOT find an explanation or definition of MiNoWriMo. Any ideas?
Anyway, here is my version of a MiNoWriMo: I plan to write a Mini-Novel, hence Mini-Novel-Writing-Month. I’m cutting the goal in half to 25,000, and adding the challenge of writing EVERY day. I’m even going to create a MiNoWriMo badge of some sort – in a day or two.
Writing My Life 