A handful of friends are gearing up for “National Novel Writing Month” – also known as “NaNoWriMo” this November.
And I’m sure I’ve mentioned this a time or two, but one day I want to have novels published.
I’ve had several ideas rolling around in my head for the past decade and a half but have struggled to get anything concrete going.
Truthfully, I know they’ll all be works of fiction and have to be a minimum of 50,000 words long – but after that?
I’m very much at a loss as to what sub-genre to file the ideas in and deep-diving into characterization and an actual plot that holds water.
I’d like to blame most of that on the newspaper job, but have to be honest about my own shortcomings, too.
For me, I’m not able to write until I have a clear picture of my characters and their backgrounds – everything from Western zodiac signs and family structures to a mental picture of what they might look like and their names and meanings.
I spend so much time agonizing over fine details that I get bogged down when something takes too long – and that’s when I immediately shelve the project and move on to something else.
I can’t tell you how many Word documents I have saved in various progress stages!
However, it’s reassuring to know that I’m not the only writer alone with such issues that don’t even include the dreaded “Writer’s Block.”
Having an online community helps with the stress and can even provide positive feedback if needed.
Not to mention a number of tools like templates, samples, or other structure worksheets.
And that’s the point of NaNoWriMo!
At the same time though, I prefer my little friend group versus one that spans tens of thousands of networks across the globe.
Plus, with the help of Google, I can find almost any accessories and toolkit to make plotting my novel easier.
I just seem to fall short when I have too many ideas cooking at once or find it impossible to move past one specific character.
Still, I’m glad that I can use my writing abilities for work in the meantime.
Even if I’m ignoring the drafts staring at me from the digital abyss, I’m able to put my skills to use every week.
Sure, it’s a different set of rules and requirements going into every story, but, it’s still writing and allows me to convey news to our readers.
While I’m not sure if I’ll be participating fully in NaNoWriMo this year, I know that I’ll be aiming to tackle those basic points better for a later time.
After all, just because there’s a month dedicated to writing novels doesn’t mean I’m bound by those stipulations.
Plus, a lot of those resources are available year-round or with enough internet searching.
I think my approach to novel writing is best summed up by Stephen King, “The scariest moment is always just before you start.”
