No, it really stands for National No Sleep Month
Now that I think about it, I may have picked the worst time to start a blog...just before November, which is NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month. And yes, that means what it looks like it means, I am writing a novel in a month. Make that trying to.
It started when I got the book No Plot? No Problem! from the library, which is written by the hilarious Chris Baty, founder of this crazy enterprise. Trust me, if you started reading this book doubtful, you will leave it filled with a firm feeling in your gut that you can and will do this. And your life will be better for it. Hey, I hear those remarks about the freshness of the cottage cheese I had for lunch!
Now, believing is easy, the hard part is to go and make believers of all your (very) skeptical friends and family. And then not telling random aquaintances who will be deliriously happy for you and will say when they introduce you to everyone from now on until forever, in tones of frenzied joy, that "She is writing a novel in a month!!! This month!!" and then turn to you, with fixed grins on their faces, as if expecting some kind of literary halo to appear over my head, or me to burst out in raptures, like "I know!!! Can you believe it?!? This month!!"
But what really happens, is I smile, somewhat queasily, at the person I'm being introduced to, and am usually speechless, beside the weak "Yeah. I am. It's pretty crazy." They of course, don't know what to say, and it is very awkward, as I don't either, and we stand around quietly until they ask the expected questions like what my novel is about, etc. I reply in vague terms, stalling for time as I don't really know that either.
All in all, not an experience worth repeating. It sounds like I know from personal experience, right? I noticed that too. Well, once I had decided to undertake this...undertaking, I envisioned not telling anyone besides the closest family memebers, as Chris Baty recommends, to not go blabbing it all over the place.
You know who the first person was that heard about it besides my immediate family memebers was?
My youth pastor.
Yeah, I know. Completely unintentional. Now, it's not like I minded telling my youth pastor, because he's a great guy who was genuinely happy for me...it's just I didn't plan on making it all public, until maybe it had some weight to it...but oh,well. It might motivate me to actually go out there and put some weight on it. But it started like this,
It was the night of Nov. 1st, and he was calling about details for going on the youth retreat, normal stuff. Somehow I thought he was calling about some scheduling thing, so I ended up giving him my schedule. And the last thing that came out of my mouth was,
"And this month is NaNoWriMo, too."
There was a pause, as I hunted down and tortured the gleefully laughing little braincell that activated my tongue before I could stop it.
My brain had a panic attack and so my tongue went completely verbal diarrhea, with no one holding the reins.
"Yeah,it'sshortforNationalNovelWritingMonthwhereweobviouslywrite
anovelinamonthbutitsreallyonly50,000wordsbutwe'reallowed
tocallitanovelanyway...."
I think I also made some asinine remark about the Great Gatsby being only 50,000 words too. *groan*
His reaction was a stunned pause at first then an incredulous laugh, saying "That's great!...A novel in a month." followed by another laugh of disbelief.
So I'm putting muzzle on my shopping list, as well as shackles to make sure I stay here, actually writing my novel, instead of talking, thinking, planning, and writing about it, instead of writing it.
Like I'm doing now. When I should be sleeping. Or working on my other writing project that's due tomorrow. So I will bid, adieu, and happy trails to anyone else reading this who happens to be on this same amazing, trippy, wonderful and horrible experience called NaNoWriMo.
It started when I got the book No Plot? No Problem! from the library, which is written by the hilarious Chris Baty, founder of this crazy enterprise. Trust me, if you started reading this book doubtful, you will leave it filled with a firm feeling in your gut that you can and will do this. And your life will be better for it. Hey, I hear those remarks about the freshness of the cottage cheese I had for lunch!
Now, believing is easy, the hard part is to go and make believers of all your (very) skeptical friends and family. And then not telling random aquaintances who will be deliriously happy for you and will say when they introduce you to everyone from now on until forever, in tones of frenzied joy, that "She is writing a novel in a month!!! This month!!" and then turn to you, with fixed grins on their faces, as if expecting some kind of literary halo to appear over my head, or me to burst out in raptures, like "I know!!! Can you believe it?!? This month!!"
But what really happens, is I smile, somewhat queasily, at the person I'm being introduced to, and am usually speechless, beside the weak "Yeah. I am. It's pretty crazy." They of course, don't know what to say, and it is very awkward, as I don't either, and we stand around quietly until they ask the expected questions like what my novel is about, etc. I reply in vague terms, stalling for time as I don't really know that either.
All in all, not an experience worth repeating. It sounds like I know from personal experience, right? I noticed that too. Well, once I had decided to undertake this...undertaking, I envisioned not telling anyone besides the closest family memebers, as Chris Baty recommends, to not go blabbing it all over the place.
You know who the first person was that heard about it besides my immediate family memebers was?
My youth pastor.
Yeah, I know. Completely unintentional. Now, it's not like I minded telling my youth pastor, because he's a great guy who was genuinely happy for me...it's just I didn't plan on making it all public, until maybe it had some weight to it...but oh,well. It might motivate me to actually go out there and put some weight on it. But it started like this,
It was the night of Nov. 1st, and he was calling about details for going on the youth retreat, normal stuff. Somehow I thought he was calling about some scheduling thing, so I ended up giving him my schedule. And the last thing that came out of my mouth was,
"And this month is NaNoWriMo, too."
There was a pause, as I hunted down and tortured the gleefully laughing little braincell that activated my tongue before I could stop it.
My brain had a panic attack and so my tongue went completely verbal diarrhea, with no one holding the reins.
"Yeah,it'sshortforNationalNovelWritingMonthwhereweobviouslywrite
anovelinamonthbutitsreallyonly50,000wordsbutwe'reallowed
tocallitanovelanyway...."
I think I also made some asinine remark about the Great Gatsby being only 50,000 words too. *groan*
His reaction was a stunned pause at first then an incredulous laugh, saying "That's great!...A novel in a month." followed by another laugh of disbelief.
So I'm putting muzzle on my shopping list, as well as shackles to make sure I stay here, actually writing my novel, instead of talking, thinking, planning, and writing about it, instead of writing it.
Like I'm doing now. When I should be sleeping. Or working on my other writing project that's due tomorrow. So I will bid, adieu, and happy trails to anyone else reading this who happens to be on this same amazing, trippy, wonderful and horrible experience called NaNoWriMo.
posted by quirkychild at 3:42 AM
4 Comments:
*points at deleted comments*
Spammers. I fixed the word verification thing so it can't do that anymore. Feel free to leave a genuine comment!
heh I'm genuinely impressed. I ended up side trailing to your blog instead of writing as well. haha. I'm not doing NaNoWriMo but I write an awful lot. haha. great stuff, I get those looks when I say that I write and then they ask "Oh, what do you write?" and I end up telling them inspi romance. That gets a few laughs.. ::rolls eyes:
Let the muzzling continue!
Jo
*confetti falls from the ceiling in a blizzard*
Congratulations, Jolene Marie, you are the official first commenter on this blog!
No, really, thanks for stopping by! I know what you mean, I think I must have done the most Internet surfing this month than any other...and I just got a bunch of books from the library I've wanted to read...
You write Insprirational Romance, that's cool. I couldn't do that for NaNo, I would want to spend forever on it! My NaNo Novel is science fiction.
But keep pushing pen on paper, or rather, fingers to keyboard!
haha thanks, I know the feelings I have few visitors on my blog as well. Kinda hard to whip those people into shape to comment. I had the problem with spammers as well until I grabbed hold of the write a bunch of nonsensical letters train. hehe.
I know whatcha mean about wanting to spend forever on the inspi. I have a hard time letting go of my character once the story is over. I usually end up with sequels of every story hah..I really need a life, I think.
Jo
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