Cathy: I must be crazy
At the end of October, an old writing friend e-mailed to ask if I was going to do Nanowrimo again this year.
What I e-mailed back to him I cannot repeat here for the sake of children’s eyes, but it amounted to a firm No Way.
Last year, I drove myself insane. I resented when life took precedence in the form of repeated visits to the pediatrician for infinite reasons including the virus sent from the inferno below that I along with the entire family contracted, amidst the usual mayhem challenges to write that abound around here. I also wrote a whole lot of crap, of which I haven’t opened the document to see the results of and edit. The novel was supposed to take place in Ireland and 31,000 words in, the family was still on the plane from Logan Airport, crossing the Atlantic and playing gin.
I am currently STILL editing the novel I wrote before last year’s Nano, and barely have the time and headspace for that, let alone start another project.
But then I was in the shower one morning — the only time and space I have completely alone to sort out whatever might be going through my head with minimal distraction — and a funny thought occured to me, which included a nonsensical opening novel line I could take in any direction.
And as I said, no, no, no I will not NOT do Nano this year, the idea grew. A plan fell into place.
I couldn’t help it, by the love of all things chocolate with caramel. I have to do it now. But first I am setting some ground rules:
- Being likely a children’s novel, I will accept 35K words as a good win if that’s where it seems to end.
- I will not make myself crazy if life gets in the way. I have a very full life. I will not resent the vicissitudes and interruptions, because really Nano is an interruption to my everything else. And my everything else is mayhem enough, thank you very much.
- As long as it remains fun, is a catalyst for inspiration and I enjoy it, I’m in.
- As soon as I break any of the above, and it becomes not fun, I am out.
Inspiration is my game this time, not racing to the finish line.
Call me crazy, but I’m in. How about the rest of you?
[Crossposted from musings in mayhem]
Studio Mothers: Life & Art 
Yay Cathy! With just over a week under your belt, how’s it going?
bravo and good luck!!!!!
thanks for the encouragement!
i have no plot, i love my main and supporting characters, the main character’s problem is fun yet realistic, my dialogue doesn’t seem half bad, and i am at the equivalent of about day three re: word count. if that. lol!
much like last year, almost as soon as i started, the house started rotating a virus…thankfully not as bad as last year’s, but i lost a couple of days just to that.
the cool thing is mr. cynic is participating this year, too!
oh girl, I am NOT IN! But it was fun to read how you have not looked at “that last piece” because the one and ONLY time I attempted this challenge…well lets just say it is “lost” on an old hard drive! I hope things are going well for you!
well, it’s over now, robin! lol! and i made it much less than last year. but i didn’t stress about it, either, which was monumental in the success column for me since last year!