november writing fun 2009

Posted 3 November 2009 by

NotesYou may already know, November is a busy month for frenzied writing if you’re inclined to have it so. I am so inclined. Last year I signed up for National Novel Writing Month [NaNoWriMo] and didn’t get very far into the month before I ran out of steam.

Writing Projects

This year, I re-upped for NaNoWriMo and I think it’s going to be good. So far, the writing is leading me in interesting ways. The characters are developing and populating effortlessly. And feels like it’s okay because it’s early in the month. I say feels like because it’s been a very long time since I sat to write a long story. And I don’t remember ever having had any measure of discipline about the process.

That’s completely not the case with NaNoWriMo. If you’re not familiar with it, this project gives writers 30 days to write 50,000 words. Your manuscript is likely to be crap, but it’s not the goal to write the next great American novel. Your goal is to get the 50,000 words written in 30 days–period. You finish it, upload it for verification, and you win.

Now, if that wasn’t enough activity for the month, I heard about the 2009 November Poem a Day Chapbook Challenge over at Poetic Asides. Writing poems is more my interest since I’ve done that for many years. I’m participating in that project too. And I’m keeping up, though it’s a little strained right now.

Getting it Done

The challenge now is to pick a schedule that accommodates everything. Because, at 1 poem and 1667 words a day, I can do both easily. When I sit down to write, the words come easily right now. I have to try to write during my optimal writing hours. So tomorrow I’ll be waking very early to write, something I stopped doing quite a few years ago.

The Journal

Since the writing is fiction and poetry, I’m logging it over at my other blog, Telling Stories. You can visit there for details and updates. And I’ll be updating the meters here in my sidebar. As for this blog, I may either step up my writing or fall off for a bit. Please be patient with me, as I’m not retiring this site yet.

Connect With Me

If anyone is participating in NaNoWriMo or PAD Chapbook Challenge this year, best of luck to you! You can add me as a NaNo writing buddy by clicking on my participation badge in the sidebar. And of course there are all the other ways you can connect with me.

If you want to drop me a note of encouragement or advice, please feel free to leave a comment. I always want to hear about useful things that might help me or someone else.

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  • http://wordsforhirellc.com/blog Karen Swim

    Shari, I did NaNo last year for the first time and loved it! Of course, it’s taken me forever to edit it so this year I decided to spend November finishing what I started, lol. The huge surprise to me was how easy the words came (most days). There’s no time for the inner editor, so words simply flow. The effect spilled over into all of my other writing too and I fell in love with my passion for writing all over again. I’m cheering you on and am looking forward to reading your work.

    • http://slstellingstories.com Shari Smothers

      Thanks so much Karen. I’ve learned some useful things about myself and my writing discipline, and lack of. The unedited flow of words is keeping me going. And it’s invigorating my other writing too; an unexpected benefit. Thanks for cheering me on, I need it! I remember you did NaNo last year and your joy you shared with us. I’m hoping to know what that feels like this year. And I’m looking forward to reading your work too. Happy editing!

  • http://wordsforhirellc.com/blog Karen Swim

    Shari, I did NaNo last year for the first time and loved it! Of course, it’s taken me forever to edit it so this year I decided to spend November finishing what I started, lol. The huge surprise to me was how easy the words came (most days). There’s no time for the inner editor, so words simply flow. The effect spilled over into all of my other writing too and I fell in love with my passion for writing all over again. I’m cheering you on and am looking forward to reading your work.

    • http://blogaboutwriting.com Shari Smothers

      Thanks so much Karen. I’ve learned some useful things about myself and my writing discipline, and lack of. The unedited flow of words is keeping me going. And it’s invigorating my other writing too; an unexpected benefit. Thanks for cheering me on, I need it! I remember you did NaNo last year and your joy you shared with us. I’m hoping to know what that feels like this year. And I’m looking forward to reading your work too. Happy editing!