Like you care.
But seriously, I am having so much fun with this project. It is important to note that I haveno delusions of literary grandeur. I went into this project expecting to write crap, and I am not disappointed. I think I have had moments where things are really good-- sometimes I get into the zone and it's just good, you know? I can feel that it's working. Other times, though, writing is work, and I have forgotten how much work it is.
My plan was to remember how to write everyday, to fall back in love with writing everyday, to remember that writing is a discipline, to reacquaint myself with my process, and in that regard, it's going really well. I am not sure how much of my particular NaNoWriMo process will translate into my scholarly work (because I need to turn my book-length dissertation into an actual book already), but I am gaining some insights about exactly how much I can do with the kids around.
I wrote a novel when I was in high school called The Skandalous Khronicles of Kiki's Kancer Kastle. It was about a housewife who went batshit and threw a stone bench through the window of a tanning salon, killing a tanning salon attendant and a couple of clients. My awesome friend Lara was going to illustrate it for me, but I lost enthusiasm for the project soon after its completion. TSKKKK was short on plot and long on characters. It told the story of 25 tanners in booths, 2 ladies in waiting (room), a couple of salon employees, and two literal flies on the wall, changing perspectives with each chapter. I am really good at describing small moments and at sketching characters, but larger plot points have never been my strong suit. All of the action in TSKKKK happened in a span of 20 minutes. I am a little at a loss here as I try to develop a more realistic storyline.
Lest you think I am a total idiot for bringing up a high school novel I printed on my Dot Matrix and put in a purple binder, writing the title in a black magic marker and dotting the i's with tiny flower stickers, I found it the other month at my parents' house, and I read parts of it, and you guys, it was good. And really, really funny in places (the flies on the wall had a love story going on that cracked me up). I mean, I was a high school kid, so it was rough, but I was a high school kid and everybody told me what a good writer I was, and I had so much confidence. That's what I need to find again.
So, I am working on it. And to facilitate that work, I am bribing my kids with things like TOY STORY 3!!! MOTY for sure.
I am having a lot of fun too - way more than I expected. In fact, I'm actually finding it easier to do NaNoWriMo than I did with NaBloPoMo last year. Finding interesting in my boring life is HARD. making up stuff is so much easier!
ReplyDeleteI was just telling my mom about Nano and how many people are doing it. I said, "I really don't think people realize how much work this is...to write a novel." So far, I've edited mine myself at least five times, my editor's edited it twice, both time required another rewrite/plot reworking from me and now I am waiting on yet one more edit. I'm told three back from her is likely... that's before copyedit! After copyedit, I'll get galleys and have to re-read/edit for the last time.
ReplyDeleteIt is HARD. You are an insanely good writer. Bravo to you for doing this...and for getting back in the habit! :) I for one would love to see what you end up with!
First - I have never been a writer, so I am just in awe of your goal.
ReplyDeleteSecond - I love your bribery - use it here sometimes too :)