It would seem that not only am I doing Nano for the second time, but I've entered into a wager with Pete, Carrie and Lori (and anyone else who wishes to chime in before we begin). To the victor goes the Tea!
The thing about Nano (national novel writing month) is that you're allowed to write garbage, so long as you're writing. It's all about BIC (butt in chair) and getting things done. It's helpful for the newbie writer who has never completed a novel-length story, and for writers who might have the occasional issue with Newton's First Law (like me) and it's also just there for those of us who wanna have fun.
Writers often place bets with each other, offer up dares and challenges. Those are useful for the participants who have no idea what they want to write during Nano - someone will challenge the creation of a story with vampire robots, for example, and - having nothing else in mind - a writer(s) will take up that challenge and (try) to whip out 50,000 words.
But then there's us. I'm pretty sure all of us: Me, Pete, Carrie and Lori, have something specific in mind. Novels we fully intended to polish and submit for traditional publication. Nano exists for that, too. It's a way to force out a first draft, or at least the first half, of a novel you wanted to get done and decided to use the challenge as a way to do it.
The orginators of Nano encourage writers to feel free and uninhibited, so they encourage you to put away the internal Editor and go forth, writing garbage if need be.
What might hinder me in this competition is my inability to do just that !
Oh, I can put the Editor away for a while. I often write that way, for the most part. But what I can't do is breeze through a tough scene by simply typing: Insert Better Scene Here. I'm a linear writer, and can't skip ahead or jump around. So when I hit a scene that isn't coming out well, it's like hitting a brick wall with no airbags. I have to write that scene before I can do the next one.
Putting in this blank section with a promise to myself that I can go back and fill it in later makes my hands shake. So this should be interesting. I did complete Nano last year, my first try, successfully, which tells me it can be done, and I can knuckle down and get busy with it when necessary.
And I have a secret weapon this year: Several days of annual leave scattered in around the month. Thanks to a ridiculous work ethic that netted me the nickname Energizer Bunny, I always end up with well over the carry-over limit of leave allowed in a year, and have to scramble to use it up before December 31st.
But - should this leave my competitors trembling in their booties - I also have an art show during the Veteran's Day weekend, and I experience some small difficulty writing at home vs writing at work.
So . . . countdown to the Great Tea Debacle: Tea minus 16 days (or something).
I'll try and put up a counter to show some progress, if I can figure this thingie out.
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13 comments:
...Thanks to a ridiculous work ethic that netted me the nickname Energizer Bunny,...
Ah shit. I'm doomed.
I'm a linear writer too, and I'm really no good at the "just write crap, fix it later" approach either. For me, the first draft has always been the most important. What I produce as a first draft is usually readable and usually not very different from the finished product. It's how I work. So it'll be interesting to see how this works with NaNo, when I can't just slop something off.
The worst part of The Great Tea Debacle is that I have to write my beginning for this novel, for the contest. Ach! Beginnings always take me a couple tries, and I have to get it right because it sets the tone for the whole novel after that.
We shall see what happens in this contest... :)
I can do the {insert scene} and jump ahead, but Pete has had the dubious privilege of virtually looking over my shoulder as I write. I tweak sentences without even realizing I'm doing it. I'll type a paragraph, realize it doesn't quite work, and cut it in half before moving on. I'm not going back and editing as I write... I'm just keeping up with changes and ripples as they happen... If that makes any sense.
'course, it doesn't help my wordcount on challenges like this.
My secret weapons for the month:
1) The first weekend I'm going to be somewhere that's internet free.
2) I get 10 1/2 days off in a row from school-related duties (except some homework.)
Of course, I've got one very major thing working against me, too.
The funny thing is, you have to read three blogs and their comment trails in order to keep up on this challenge (for example, we're now discussing our advantages and disadvantages quite separately from all the other stuff we're talking about).
My advantage is that I don't have a day job anymore, and I'm a pretty fast writer in good circumstances. And I've come up with a couple other advantages that I don't think I'll tell you people, since you're all my competitors.
My disadvantages has been listed, but also include some three-month-old named Zach who can make or break a writing day pretty easily.
Well let's not start that water boiling just yet . . . good thing there's plenty of Halloween candy around, I can stock up on sugar !
I have other water boiling: I have *got* to finish my Rome novel before NaNo, or all is doomed. (I mean, I'll still race, but Rome's gotta finish).
I'm also a linear writer. No skipping around for me. On a first draft, though, I can just write bare-bones to get the gist of the scene and come back to it later and flesh it out.
The only thing I "cheat" with are unimportant details. For instance, one line in my current WIP says "...almost missed her plane to LOCATION..." I'll figure out where she was going later. :oP
My secret weapon? Uh... Yeah. Of course I have one, I really do. It's a BIG secret weapon and I'm not even HINTING about it because it's so big and so secret and so weapony.
My disadvantages? Work and School Activities and Sports. Oy.
I consumed some tea tonight and feel all inspired-like. Yeah, this is gonna be good fun.
One of my secret weapons is a Costco card - wholesale coffee beans and sugar.
too much, tho, and I WILL be writing garbage :D
"iiiiiiiitttiititititi twassasa aa s darrkkrkk aandndn storrmym ngighhthhthth" Midnight Muse wrote "susudueennyl a shhhototo wrannng oututtt" And then she knew it was too much coffee and tea.
Yeah, well, this is all about quantity, not about quality.
Et tu, muse?
*sighs*
Ed! C'mon! Participate! It'll be fun. If you're worried about me defeating you, it's okay, I really won't get too tired from having so many people to beat.
;)
Yes, Ed, Me tu! Come on, it's friviolous fun. It gets my butt in that chair, and thoughts of all that tea make me happy :)
Join the darkside, my Ferreted Friend.
Sounds like you guys are getting pretty competitive. Half makes me want in on your challenge, but my disadvantages are stacking up too high at the moment to be a contender.
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