NanoWrimo. A ritual of self-inflicted pain masquerading as an exercise in self-actualization.
The premise is simple - people sign up to write a novel in a single month. 30 days, 50,000 words. All it takes is one outing for most people to know that the novel they have in them is best left where it is.
That lesson hasn’t stuck with me. Every November, I sign up for Nano. Most years, my enthusiasm lasts a few days. Twice, I’ve hit 10,000 words. This year, I tell myself, will be different. Just as I have every other year.
On to brass tacks. November is a few days away, so I’m busy planning for it. This year, rather than trying to birth once of the half-formed science fiction stories in my head, I’m starting with an outline of a few lines for a shock-horror novel. Horror is fun to write. The novel will be campy, so quality (or the lack of it) will be a given.
I’m going to spend the next few days throwing together a few pages with characters, setting and a few plot points.
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