It's November, which means National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo. Twice I've attempted and failed at the challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. Here's what happens. I get about 10,000 words into the novel, and I'm overwhelmed by two forces. The first force is this pressure to make sure the novel is "publishable" and of a certain high standard, which undermines the whole point of NaNoWriMo. It's about completion not excellence. You can always edit in March. The second force is this emotion that I can only describe as "You're not the boss of me." I get defiant and want to prove that NaNoWriMo has no power over me. I turn quitting into a virtue. It's pathetic, but you're not the boss of me either, so stop judging. I'm capable of completing large projects because I've done it before. I've written a few sizable graphic novels, ones that have been published and a few that will tragically never see the light of day. I can write, but the words don't always flow and that bothers me. NaNoWriMo appeals to me because I like the idea of writing more. I like that moment where "can't start" transforms into "can't stop."
NaNoWriMo, I may never know you. However, as an act of solidarity with those braver November novelists, I will commit to writing more this month. My goal will be to post on my blog every day. Since we're already at the midpoint for November, I'll need to double up on some days so that it equals one post per day. This post will be my 8th for November.
It's not as impressive as writing a novel, but it's a start. And since it's my blog, I really am the boss.
