Last year, I swore up and down that I would not fall victim to the inevitable NaNoWriMo buzz on blogs and Twitter that seems to start popping up just around this time each year. After failing at the month-long writing frenzy for two years in a row, I promised that in 2011, I would ignore the temptation to even POST about it on my blog, let alone think about participating.
But the temptation is too strong. Just seeing the words NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month) stirs something inside me; and I feel a little glimmer of possibility…I tell myself, “maybe this time will be different.” I see good blog friends posting about joining in with an exciting new idea. I see writers on Twitter sharing tips for brainstorming and outlining; after all people, we have two weeks to go! And it makes me want to dive in…
I think what draws me most to NaNoWriMo is the amazing sense of community. Of course, the reading/writing community is fantastic every month of the year, but there’s something about NaNo that really brings people together. Just knowing that thousands of writers all over the world are waking up early or staying awake until the wee hours banging at their keyboards for the same purpose is pretty inspiring.
So again this year, I will publicly declare that I am going to attempt NaNoWriMo…but in a completely non-traditional way. I won’t be writing a novel. I know, I know. Isn’t that the whole point? Well, maybe, but for me, this year, I’m channeling all of the incredible energy and excitement of NaNo into a secret project that I’ve been thinking and dreaming about for way too long. This is my big, scary goal; the one that I’ve been too scared to pursue. And I think November will be the perfect time for me to start tackling it head-on. And, hey…maybe I’ll be so inspired by making headway on my big dream that the creative juices will be a-flowing and I’ll attempt some novel writing too (because my dream of writing a novel is right behind this crazy idea I’m about to tackle). I promise to give more details soon.
This year, I’m doing NaNoWriMo, but I’m doing it my way.
Who’s with me? Are you joining in this year? Do you have any specific NaNo goals?
The very best of luck, Jessica 🙂 You may be outside the usual parameters but you are definitely channeling the spirit of Nano!
A secret project that is NOT a novel? I’m intrigued.
Yes, yes, I’m doing NaNoWriMo this year. And unlike the other years, I have a definite plan this time. Super excited. It’s actually keeping me up all night, just thinking of it.
Hey, GO for it. Whatever idea keeps you sustained and remains provocative for you has special power in it.
Yay! This is awesome! I can’t wait to hear about your scary special project! Good luck!
Ooo, I’m so intrigued! I’m doing Nanowrimo outside of the official site as well, but still sticking to the novel, defined as a 50,000-word ramble. 🙂