50,000 words and 22 days

November is NaNoWriMo: 50,000 words over 30 days. This year, I started 2 days later because I made a promise to my students I would help them with their theatrical performance, where I was on of the 3 directors. Then I had other barriers: promoting my book, the conference I am presenting at, and other social obligations.

As we will find out tomorrow, my daily word could was consistent. On most days anyway. Other things were not so easy: exhibit A laundry, exhibit B the pile of comments formula company blog, exhibit C my working knowledge of anything that happened this month that is not my books.

But it is done.

The thing that weighed most on my mind: I may have outgrown NaNoWriMo. While the thrill is there the intensity was not. I will consider this problem next year. But until then, I have another book to finish illustrating.

I am done!

NaNoWriMo: Movin' Right Along

The thing I appreciate most about NaNoWriMo: I cannot linger if I want to make my deadline. I have to keep my characters moving. The depth I need to make the scenes work comes from the day after I wrote the original scene. My word count comes quickly from reviewing what I have already written and add in detail.

Other spots for me: not to be afraid to write out of sequence or about a character I don't care about. I k ow I spent over 3000 words today in a courtroom. I had no idea I even wanted a court room but that was what happened today. I think it was far better than pulling out the phrase "and then the Ninja monkeys attacked!"

But then again, tea time would be so much more interesting with a horde of ninja monkeys.

I am also still preparing for work, TASH and whatever else is heading my way.

November rocks.

NaNoWriMo, Fame verses Success

I think the thing that has drawn me most to NaNoWriMo simply that is that completing it is success. Getting to 50,000, that's the goal. It's constant. I will get there. I have gotten there for several years in a row. This year has been harder. Between juggling a full dramatic show with teenagers, doing my full time job, doing my part time job, and other assorted crises, words have been harder this year than ever.

So why do NaNo? Because I'm chasing fame? Hardly. My success as a writer isn't tied up in my fame. My success as a writer is in sharing the work and the ideas that I have in my head. It's completing the work in my head that I have half written outlines for. Success is just knowing that it is "done" and then you can find the next thing to accomplish.

Fame is what drives many of my students. After all, it could be a lofty goal. It seems that famous people are more successful. They, famous people, seem to have combined love, fame and success in one fell swoop. Fame can last for as long as possible with some who have managed to make fame look desirable.

But that is not why NaNoWriMo continues to be churned out in little spurts here and there. Success is an easier stick to measure the world by.