Rebel

i had good intentions to do Nanowrimo this year. Since I’m retired, I really have no excuses*. For the uninitiated, this organization encourages people to write a 50,000 word draft of a novel during the month of November. Last year, there were around 380,000 participants. I’ve done this before, but it has been several years.

I sort of planned ahead, had a crazy-ass shell of a plot, and waded in on November 1st. November 3rd, not having fun. Came up with a totally different seat of the pants plot, started over. November 5th, still not having fun.

I have no illusions that I’m going to ever publish the great American novel. I finished my career, I don’t need a new one.

So I bagged the whole thing, and here is what I’m doing instead.

My book weight is hiding the author’s name, this is the Fiction Writer’s Workshop by Josip Novakovich. It is set out in clear chapters, with a ton of writing exercises for each section. So I started a new project file**, and am writing away.

It’s not a novel, and I may not hit 50,000 words by the end of the month, but I’m having fun, and learning some things in the process.

*No excuses, other than the fact that I can’t write my way out of a paper bag. There is that.

**I’m using a writing project app called Scrivener. If you’re a writer, check it out.