The Joy of a Cooperative Muse
This is my favorite time of year - the excitement of NaNoWriMo has me chomping at the bit. I purposefully did not allow myself to write down my ideas before the starting bell sounded. I jotted down names and VERY brief character descriptions so that I wouldn't be slowed down my trying to come up with names as I started writing (that's always tough for me. Names are soooo important. For instance, do you think for a minute that Heidi Fleiss would have been a successful madame had her name been Agnes Frisbee? And if you're name is Agnes Frisbie, I apologize. But I digress . . . ). Other than that, I waited for November 1 and let the characters chat in my head. I was a bit worried that I might sit down to write last night, and no words would come. But it was an evening writers dream of. I sat down to write about 7 p.m., after working all day, stopping at the pharmacy, stopping at the grocery store, taking trash out and getting supper on the table, I was concerned that my muse had fled the scene. To my surprise, she came 'round after I turned on the local hard rock station and lit a candle. She perched on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, and my fingers danced over the keyboard. I watched the words appear on the screen, reading the story as it unfolded. It was as if I wasn't the author - I was simply the vessel through which they flowed. It's an awesome feeling. Probably like a runner's high, I would suspect.
Anyway, I've set a goal for myself of 1,666 words per day. Last night, I had 2,495 when I turned my laptop off. Goal met. Writer satisfied.
If you haven't ever done NaNo, I encourage you to give it a try. For me, the looming deadline, the peer pressure and the absolute abandon of it allows me to get that first draft done - something that I have a horrible time doing. I'm a procrastinator and a perfectionist. I will spend years on the first chapter without a deadline. If you have dreams of writing a novel, take advantage of the mass insanity that NaNo allows and take the challenge. If you do, let me know how you're doing.
For now,
Elle
Anyway, I've set a goal for myself of 1,666 words per day. Last night, I had 2,495 when I turned my laptop off. Goal met. Writer satisfied.
If you haven't ever done NaNo, I encourage you to give it a try. For me, the looming deadline, the peer pressure and the absolute abandon of it allows me to get that first draft done - something that I have a horrible time doing. I'm a procrastinator and a perfectionist. I will spend years on the first chapter without a deadline. If you have dreams of writing a novel, take advantage of the mass insanity that NaNo allows and take the challenge. If you do, let me know how you're doing.
For now,
Elle
YOU ROCK!!!!! 2,945 words - INCREDIBLE!!!
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This is a great article. Gracias for the info.
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