The arduous yet addictive novel-writing feast that is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for the uninitiated) began yesterday, November 1 – but I was busily holidaying in the south-west of Australia. I’ve got a tough week coming up relaxing on Rottnest Island with my in-laws from Switzerland, and only after that will I be seriously getting into NaNoWriMo.
But I’m excited about it. After last year’s NaNoWriMo “win” (that’s the term they use if you successfully complete a novel of at least 50,000 words during November) I know that I can do it. I’ve also got a list of four ways to make NaNoWriMo easier this time round and I’ll be able to do most of these, especially planning better before I write and writing dialogue better; unfortunately, after vowing not to be behind on word count from Week 2 like I was last year, I’m going to be even further behind because I won’t be seriously starting until November 8. But that’s life.
As for what my NaNoWriMo novel will be about, I’m scarily (and probably stupidly) still oscillating between two ideas. The first is to write what I always call my “Bratislava novel”; I have a first chapter of this, and a good plan as well. The second idea is something I’ve been brainstorming about for a few months now (but not confidently enough to mention much about it here); I’ll call it the Agnetha novel, because she’s the main character. If I was starting right now I’d write the Agnetha novel and I’m guessing that’s what will happen. But things can change in a week.
Anyone out there who’s already NaNoWriMo-ing – I wish you lots of good luck and good word counts. Let me know how you’re going. I’m still limbering up and will be trying to get some start made during this week, but the serious word-count writing will definitely not start until next week. But I’m determined to be a NaNoWriMo winner for the second time!
I signed up for NaNo but I have yet to type a single word. Mainly because even though I’ve been thinking about the story I want to write for months I don’t have any sort of outline. So for the last 2-3 days I’ve been throwing a loose outline together that will, hopefully, see me through the next 25 days.
This is my first year doing the Nano so it will be interesting to see how it goes.
Hey Arwen, Good to know I’m not the only one who hasn’t written anything yet … but I hope we both make it to the end. Good luck!
[...] other writers have been tapping away at their keyboard since November 1, I’m starting today. Since NaNoWriMo winners have to write 50,000 words before November 30, [...]