Trying to put luck on my side this time (NaNoWriMo)

[mousme]

Obligatory disclaimer:

Yes, I know a whole bunch of you heartily dislike NaNoWriMo, and the last thing you want is to hear me go on and on about it in here. However, you are going to be sorely disappointed. This year I'm going to give it another go, and hopefully have a little more success than usual. I'm also probably going to write about it in my LJ. Frequency of posts may vary greatly.

For those of you who don't want to read about NaNo, I will helpfully put (NaNoWriMo) in my post subject lines when I choose to write about it, or do something more than mention it in passing. That is all I'm prepared to do. I had a filter for NaNo before, but I've grown to dislike filters, and avoid them when I can. Also, I've developed an intolerant streak about other people whining about my journal content, not that that's happened in a very long time. So, feel free to skip these posts if'n you're so inclined: I've made it relatively easy.

/End disclaimer, and on to the fun part of the post!


As I mentioned, I'm giving this another go. Contrary to the last two times I've tried NaNo, I actually have the semblance of an idea in the back of my mind. I have no plot, but I have an idea, and a visual to go with it. Also, I have a genre. I am leagues ahead of where I was last year. :)

That being said, there will be no shilly-shallying this October. I plan to actually do some research and maybe even try to refine my idea into something resembling a plot. Plots are good. They can be changed if necessary, but having one to begin with is a good idea, at least for me. I used to pride myself on being a seat-of-the-pants writer, but the longer stuff I wrote when I was younger never held together properly, and the short stories I wrote were, well, short enough that I could write without a plot, the structure already being apparent in my head.

So, I am going to invest in industrial quantities of tea, look at November in such a way that I can still do most of the things I like to do, including NaNo, without losing too much sleep or my mind (which happened in 2003). Sadly, I learned the hard way in university (and after university, come to think of it) that I can't fuck with my sanity with impunity: I have to handle it reasonably carefully, and use what little common sense I have. That means getting enough sleep in spite of wordcount, eating as well as I can, and not stressing myself out if I don't meet my own arbitrarily-set expectations.

So, once again I will be NaNo-ing, but if I don't reach 50,000 words I won't beat myself up about it. I will have fun writing as much of this new novel as I can, and that'll be that.

Write on!

Comments

[foi-nefaste.livejournal.com]

NaNo-ing! Here's to vague images and turning them into novels!

This year, I've got my paper-writing under some semblance of control for November - that is, I've already done the better part of class presentations and such for the semester (doing work in advance! *gasp* Check for pod people) and I have a few classes that don't require huge essays. *sighs with relief* So we'll both of us be attempting to hang onto sanity's coattails.

... and how long d'you think THAT's gonna last?

And, that said I'll see you tonight, take care, have fun, don't kill, main, eviscerate, or otherwise harm your coworkers, etc. Ta!

[joenotcharles.livejournal.com]

I'll probably read the Nano posts - maybe - but if you make long ones you might want to make liberal use of the cut to make them even easier to skip.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

I generally cut long posts regardless of content. That's the extent to which I'm ready to go on this. But if my post is between one and three paragraphs, I probably won't.

I'm not the type to force people to scroll forever just to get past my prose. ;)