I’m excited to say that I’m once again jumping into the daily word count fray this year and participating in NaNoWriMo!
I hadn’t planned to do NaNoWriMo this year. I mean, what a year it’s been. Surely there were other things I should be focusing on? Between all the writing I have done that I’ve let languish, the editing that it all so desperately needs, a kid in the throes of college applications, plus the continual management of all things COVID-related or impacted—well, like most people, my plate is full and I should have just let well enough alone.
But I was speaking to a friend of mine who is doing NaNoWriMo this year, feeling the need to jumpstart his writing, and those little nagging thoughts about starting something new and shiny and distracting started to creep in. I thought, “Well, I do have a sequel to write to something I’ve already finished and got simmering…maybe I’ll get that idea cranked up and give it a go.”
Which would have been great if that was the book I was writing. But it isn’t. I’m writing something totally different and new.
So much for focus.
Too be fair, it’s not completely new. It’s actually a re-imagining of a book I started years ago but just couldn’t seem to find the footing. So I took the basic concept and jumbled it around in my head for a bit, and have come out with a completely different story using much of the same elements, but in new ways.
And damned if I’m not excited about it!
Having done NaNoWriMo two times previous, and having “won” it both times by hitting the 50k word count, I’m aiming for something different. The word count is fine, I’m not actually worried about that. It can be a slog sometimes, and there are moments when I want to give up, but I’ve hit the target the other two times I’ve participated. No, what I want out of this time is to finish the book. Both my previous NaNoWriMo book got to around 60k words, and then the energy and drive petered out, and I put the books down.
Not this time. This time, I’m going to hit the November-mandated word count, and then finish the damn thing in December. Even if the book is crap, I’m going to plow through to the end of that first draft. I may never edit it after that, but I’m sick of having half-done books sitting on my laptop, laughing at me, daring me to tangle with them again.
So wish me luck! I’m off to slay the Word Count Dragon. And this year, I’ll finish the NaNoWriMo book I start. I promise.
Scott C Lyerly 