NaNoWriMo

This year I'm going to try this again.
Last year I didn't even come close to crossing the 50,000 word finish line and I think I know why...

Sure, the idea is that you can marathon sprint your novel into existence but like every marathon, you need to practice. At the time, I was writing maybe 1,000 words a month. It is not a completely terrible pace considering I have a full-time job, and a life. But to go from that to trying to strangle 50 times that out of my brain is freaking difficult.

Another thing is I didn't plan. Wrimos call it "pantsing" as in "flying by the seat of your pants." It is a fun idea to see where the winds of inspiration will lead. But the winds died in the second week into it last year and I deleted my account out of spite.

As I registered my new account this month, I went poking around the website and I found the "regions" section. I didn't bother with much beyond the word count on the website last time and now that I decided to look around, I'm glad I did. The regions' tab got me connected with people in my area who participate in NaNoWriMo too! The foreigners in South Korea can be quite diverse and it can be hard to find others who have similar interests. So, not only is this a chance to create a motivating network, it also serves as a way to meet new and interesting people who already share a lot in common.

So here is the checklist of things I need to work on BEFORE November 1st rolls around:

1. Start getting the hang of writing every day with small goals at first and work up to larger word counts.

2. Plan a general outline of the story. This includes characters, major events, plot twists, culture tips, Pinterest the crap out of pictures that give great visuals for the story, and a good music playlist.

3. Connect with people who are also doing NaNoWriMo and share inspirations, tips, and give support. Don't be so selfish!

While I did some reading on ways to be successful at NaNoWriMo and how to prepare for it, I also saw a lot of people out there who are completely against the idea of a National Novel Writing Month. Most of the negativity seems to revolve around the belief that it is just about a word count and will be worth nothing at the end of a month. Where do you go with a novel that is full of "reallys and verys?" You edit.
This is only a first draft.
Maybe they should call December the National Edit Your Draft Month. No, wait...we need a break after that marathon in November and a chance to enjoy the holidays since Thanksgiving gets all gobbled up. Pun intended.
Anyway, my point is to stay away from the naysayers and just work on getting the novel out of the brain. Worry about the cutting board later.

Let's do this!