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November 06, 2008

It's Not Too Late to NaNo

Last year on Halloween night, I panicked. I had vowed to meet with two friends the next morning, laptops in hand, to kick off our participation in the world-wide writing event known as NaNoWriMo, short for National Novel Writing Month, the gist of which is to write an entire novel (50,000 words) in the month of November. I've enlisted in NaNo since 2005, but this particular October had come to a close without my having the slightest idea what I would write. As I drove home late that Halloween night, leaves blew across the dark, windy road before me. And it brought to mind a lecture I had once attended by Mary Higgins Clark.

She talked about how she was able to continue to interest her readers without the graphic, sensationalistic details other mystery, suspense, and horror writers had incorporated. She said (and I paraphrase, as the lecture was several years ago) she tried to tap into the basal fears that will never cease to evoke a response in people. She referred to experiences like hearing a bump in the night, being followed by someone through a shadowy alley, or -- here it comes -- driving alone down a dark road on a rainy night.

It came to me, then. I had my opening for my new NaNo novel, and I'd take it from there. Playing the What If? game during the rest of the drive home, I thought about how a character might respond if a person desperate for help (or even needy and bleeding) stepped out in front of her car on that isolated road. Would she stop? Call 911? Keep driving? The possibilities stretched out before me. And from there, my NaNo novel was born.

This year, I spent the month of October in preparation mode. I plotted intriguing twists and intricate turns so that, rather than write a draft during NaNoWriMo that needed gobs of revision to be marketable, I'm hoping I'll be a couple of drafts closer to having a finished product I can offer my agent.

So I encourage you to sign up, this year, today, right now, to participate in National Novel Writing Month. It takes only a few minutes to set up an identity (use your real name or a pseudonym of choice) and get started pumping up that word count. If you begin today, you'll have to write about 2000 words a day or approximately eight manuscript pages. That's a lot, I know, but it's not quality you're aiming for this time around. Start with any old character and put him in a sticky situation facing a nasty antagonist, give him a sidekick and/or a love interest and then write your way out.

NaNoWriMo is an invigorating experience. As the creativity is freed, the laundry piles up, lunch meetings get canceled, and you start weighing the nutritious differences between drive through and take out (hint: take out is better). People will look at you as though you're starring in your own Ground Hog Day movie when you walk into the same coffee shop five days in a row (preferably one with free refills), seeking out the same nook in which to write (usually a booth near an electrical outlet).

It's tough to describe the NaNo experience to non-NaNo writers. My best advice is to give it a try. If you finish the month with 50,000 words, then great. You win a printable certificate that says you did. If you end up with only 10,000 more words under your belt, so what. You're still a winner because you've kicked yourself in the &$*% and jump-started an exciting new project that just might propel your writing momentum for several months or even all year.

Go NaNo, I say! Give it a try, today!

Posted by Judy at 08:08 AM | Comments (8)

November 04, 2008

Be a Part of History: Vote!

It's no news that today is a day that will go down in history. In the past, the highest voter turnout tallied around 90% or so (in PA) when Nixon ran against Kennedy before I was born. Why not play a part in breaking that record?

Don't pass up this opportunity to be a part of history. Experience democracy at work, firsthand. If you have no patience for standing in a long line, do what I did. Pack a paperback novel and a couple of snacks, stop for your favorite brew (it'll help the economy) and grab a spot in line. It's your civic duty, your right--an American privilege.

This moment in history can be yours to share for years to come.

Vote today! Vote now! You might be surprised at how great it makes you feel!

P.S. Have an interesting voting story? Why not share it below? (Caution: Candidate-bashing comments will not be approved.) Thanks!

Posted by Judy at 10:03 AM | Comments (6)