Sometime in October, I started noticing the buzz building for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). People tweeted and blogged excitedly about their plans to write a 50,000 word novel in the span of 30 days.
Just the thought of trying to do that stresses me out...especially when I'm trying so hard to get the final edit done on my first novel so I can start sending queries! I spent 3 months conceiving my story and fleshing out my characters. Then I literally locked myself in a closet for months and wrote my first draft. OK, I didn't spend all day and night in the closet, and it was a big closet...like a little room. And it was the quietest place in the house where I was the least likely to be disturbed! ;o)
But seriously, how do people do this? And if I don't feel I can do it does that mean I'm not cut out to be a writer? I know of at least one other writer who's not participating, so I know I'm not completely alone....but we are 2 tiny islands in a sea of writers who are furiously tapping away at their keyboard while chugging various forms of caffeine and blogging or tweeting their word counts daily (or nightly) all through the month of November.
Maybe I lack self confidence...maybe I could do it if I tried. Actually, I think I could...just not right now. I am in awe of those who have the guts to just jump in and do it. Some of the ones I know are brand new writers like me...and I'm in double-rainbow awe of them! ;o)
I will continue to grow as a writer and one day it will be me with the caffeine high tapping furiously at my keyboard and posting my nightly word count here...until then, for those about to NaNoWriMo, I salute you! ;o)
paxamo,
