My NaNo recap

Well, NaNo was sort of a bust for me, because I just didn't get much writing done. Every time I would sit down to try it, I would get interrupted. Or the words just wouldn't come. It was very frustrating. At the same time, I was traveling around a lot, going to shows, and preparing for my awesome Bucket List trip to Seattle. I have also learned how to loom knit, needle knit, and crochet, and was working a lot on those projects.

But, I am okay with this. I do have an outline of sorts for the book that I started. I know in which direction I want it to go. I still don't know if it is going to be a standalone book, or if it will require more than one as a series. I won't know until the words begin to flow again. I do find that to be a huge accomplishment for myself, though, because that is more than I have ever done before in a longer piece.

It's weird. I am not usually a fan of reading short stories. I prefer longer ones, because I get more out of them. Yet, I find myself more apt to write a short story than a longer one. I think it's because I get into a groove. Once that train is derailed, it is hard for me to get back into the same frame of mind. The same thing always happened to me with painting. I love oil paints, but lose my mojo when I have to wait in between layers.

So, no NaNo success for me, in the traditional sense of the word. But, a feeling of accomplishment for myself. That is what matters the most.

Finally starting NaNo...

I don't know what my problem is. I have the worst case of Writer's Block I have ever had in my life. I can't seem to even begin anything, despite a complete lack of ideas running through my head. About a week ago, I finally came up with the idea I wanted to do in my novel And I haven't even come close to getting started, yet.

Here we are, on the 12th of November. I should be at over 20,000 words. I have maybe 100 written, consisting of the outline of scene ideas in my mind. I am feeling frustrated and almost like a failure.

Yet I refuse to give up on myself.

I am sitting at my favorite bar & grill, laptop on the table, notebook for jotting notes, spiked root beer, and the start of snacking and dollar tacos. Let's do this!

Okay, I'm doing it!

Hey, did you think I disappeared? I was kind of afraid that I had, as well. As quickly as that idea train got started, it also quickly got derailed.

Oh, I have been writing up a storm for the past few weeks. Probably enough to fill at least a novella, if not a novel. Oh wait, that's called parent-teacher conference reports. :-P

But, this year they were complete by this first week in November. (In previous years, they took place throughout the month of November.) Which means, I no longer have my annual excuse for not participating in NaNoWriMo.

What is NaNoWriMo?

National Novel Writer's Month. You have 30 days to write a 50,000 word novel.

Am I crazy?

Yes. But, something like this just may be what I need to kick myself in the ass and get this whole thing going. I have a ton of children's books completed, that just need photographs and illustrations. I have a few short stories that are either complete or close to completion. I have a couple of novel ideas started. Now I am going to be forced to actually get one completed.

Of course, I was so brain-dead this weekend after doing all of those reports and meetings that I couldn't come up with any ideas. See, I have a couple started, but you have to have a brand new idea in mind for this challenge. You may have an idea and an outline completed ahead of time, but you may not start writing until November 1st. I don't like to break rules, so I was struggling to think of something new. I slept a ton this weekend (15 hours Friday night, alone), which I think helped me to recharge. I woke up this morning with an idea in mind that I think I would like to work on.

No, I am not going to share it, yet. I don't want to jinx myself by sharing about it quite yet. Instead. I am going to start on it and then see how it goes.

And when I say start on it, I mean start tomorrow. I had the last two reports to write tonight, and some Fiverr obligations to finish, and book to review tonight. It's only 6 o'clock, but after Daylight Savings ended, and I am already tired. I'm still fighting off the ick. And falling further behind.

But I *WILL* do something with this. Getting anything written this year will already have me winning vs. the previous two years.

I promise to keep you posted.