My sister Bethany and I are committing to the insanity that is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). We're going to write another novel in the moth of November. We'll head full tilt down that crazy hill and not stop till we get to the bottom, even if we trip and fall and roll the last few feet.
The best thing about NaNo? You write a novel in a month. 1667 words a day, that's all! (Usually I like to write 2k/day so I have a little cushion on the days I cannot get it together. This year I'll try to write 4k/day because I'm completely insane.)
The worst thing about NaNo? You write a novel in a month. All the words in your head come out your fingertips and hit the keyboard, and you know what's left over for talking to other people? Nothing. Your wife says, "What do you want for dinner?" and you say, "Are you tapas bar? Cry on leftist bank of saints and inchworms! Jessh!"
It can be (well) argued that 50,000 words does not an entire novel make. That's true. Most YA novels are bigger than that nowadays. You know what I say to that argument? Write the WHOLE book then! (Watch the arguer backpedal: No, no, 50,000 is a lot of words, I'll be fine with that….) Me, I'm going to try to write a whole book. All 100,000 words. Stop it. I am. (Eeek!)
Um. I suppose I should come up with a plot. Soon. (You can preplan, but not prewrite.) Sigh. Can I borrow one from somebody? (I'm just kidding. YOU write your story! Do it! Do it! I wanna hear about THAT!)
So I'm committing to raising money for the Night of Writing Dangerously, NaNoWriMo's fundraiser for their Young Writers Program (more than 2000 classrooms will be writing along in November for NaNo!). Usually it's Bethany's pledge page and then she lets me tag along, but this year, I beat her to the punch! But she'll be my guest if we raise $350.
Bethany and I both want to say this, humbly:
Dear Fairy Godmother, We know the economy is hard and even though you've sent us to this for the last few years, you do NOT HAVE TO send us again. Really. We love you, no matter what!
Everyone else, We know the economy is hard and even $5 makes a difference to this program. It's something we really, really, really believe in. Words are magic, and they are giving the gift of the belief in words to kids. That's amazing.
CLICK ON CHRIS BATY TO DONATE —>
*Edited to add:
CARTWHEELS. She did it again. Writes our darling FG: Dear Rachael and Bethany, It wouldn't be Nanowrimo if I didn't know you were at the Night of Writing Dangerously. Have a great time! Your Fairy Godmother
We are so happy and so grateful. We will make you proud.
Dear Rachael and Bethany,
It wouldn’t be Nanowrimo if I didn’t know you were at the Night of Writing Dangerously.
Have a great time!
Your Fairy Godmother
I have book ideas, but no time to write in between caring for my children and studying for my degree. However, I’ll pitch them to you if you want.
I’d love to see you write something off-genre for NaNo.
Congrats and thanks to your Fairy Godmother! I had a bunch of Fairy Godparents that sent me to SOAR last year, and it was truly a gift beyond the money involved.
NWD sounds like a hoot, but really not in the budget this year. Hopefully next. But I’ll be trying NANO again this year. Haven’t managed it yet, but Kid-the-Youngest has finished twice.
Have a great time at the Night!
Oh, I am so doing NaNo again this year. I skipped last year and really missed it. Plot? We don’t need no stinkin’ plots!
I signed up! This is my first Nano and I’m both scared and excited. And I hope the plot comes to me as we go,because all I have are a couple characters wantin to do something – I just don’t know what!
Good luck!