Everyone I know online – published and unpublished authors – are abuzz about NaNoWriMo ‘09. Who will opt in, who will opt out? Will I do it, will you do it?
I won my first completion from them last year I’m very proud to say but to be honest, what I completed was utterly vile drivel and got itself cut to shreds and is lying in tatters on a spare hard drive somewhere at home. Some parts of the writing I’m astoundingly proud of, some parts…not so much.
Nano is taking place, obviously, over November. The timing works quite well as it’s invariably colder and darker and it gives you a chance to snuggle in with your computer or laptop to BIC (butt in chair) and write.
My friend Karen Mahoney – soon to be published by Flux in the States – has decided to slightly restructure the original nanowrimo idea, putting a new spin on it, one with a more maneagable word count.
- Nanowrimo = 50,000 words
- Kaznowrimo = 30,000 words
Kaznowrimo works out to 1,000 words a day. So that’s not too bad. But then, Nanwrimo works out to 1,666 words a day. Which to be fair, is still not too bad. But looking at those two figures…the one that looks possible is 1,000 words. It’s a long chatty email to a friend. It can be done.
So, this year I won’t be doing Nanowrimo but I will be doing Kaznowrimo. Not just to support Kaz in this, because I will be doing that too, but also because it will allow me to play around with an idea for a contemporary (supernatural/urban fantasy) young adult novel that’s been bugging me for a little while now. I am planning to revise even more on Djinn (shows bleeding stubby fingers) but it will also allow me a chance to get rid of my pent-up frustration about not writing-writing, you know? I get to figure out where this new story wants to go. I have the opportunity and luxury to do this as I don’t have deadlines to work to, except the ones I’ve set for myself. It’s also a way to channel creativity, to work on something else apart from Djinn which has been my life for 7 solid months, thus far.
I also wanted to mention something else that I’ve dicovered. It’s a group called Million Monkeys. They are on Facebook but what you need to know is: they are London based. Mondays and Wednesday nights they meet up at the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank. A whole group of writers – they sit down at their little tables and they write from 6 – 9 pm. After nine you can either pack up and go or you can hang around for a chat and a drink. I’ve not been myself, but I’m thinking I may very well join them this coming Monday – it’s “enforced” writing with no excuses. I will drag my revisions for Djinn with me, plug myself into my music and continue with the revisions.
Then tomorrow – Saturday – will be my first ever SCBWI British Isles and I am genuinely looking forward to that. It sounds very interesting and I am hoping to not be picked on by the tutor for sending in possibly the most dull chapter from Djinn as an example of what I felt I struggled with. But we see. I shall report back!
PS: my word counter here says that I’ve writter 577 words in this blog post. Not bad eh? Half my Kaznowrimo done!
Advice, that is.