The flurry of excitement that accompanied my book launch has passed and now I need to get serious about writing the second book. I’ve started it, but other things keep getting in the way: a full-time job plus freelance writing, volunteering, family, dog, on and on.
So… I think I’m going to take the plunge and commit to taking part in National Novel Writing Month. Popularly known as nanowrimo, this is a project that asks people to commit to writing 50,000 words during the month of November.
The program started in 1999 with a mere 21 would-be authors. Last year, a whopping 402,142 people participated. Learn more about it here.
The idea is to keep writing, not stopping to edit or revise. Just get it out there. Will it be publisher-ready? Of course not. But you’ll have a working first draft, a necessary step on the long road to a finished book.
I’m an editor by trade so I relish the polishing part but find the initial writing daunting. Nanowrimo may be just the kick in the pants that I need. However, there’s no way I can commit to 50,000 words in one month. But if I got to 15,000, that would really move this next book along. I already have a few chapters written.
My plan is to write an average of 500 words a day throughout November. To get ready to dive in, I’m polishing my outline this month. Right now I have a clear vision for the beginning and end, but the middle is a bit hazy and needs attention (same thing happened with the last book). I’m going public with my commitment as a way to make myself do it and stop procrastinating. OK, wish me luck.
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