NaNoWriMo

November begins in just a couple of days and with it comes NaNoWriMo.

What in the heck is NaNoWriMo? you ask. Well, that would be one month of pure torture, too much coffee, computer key pounding, hair pulling, teeth grinding, and a lot of random doodles in the margin of my notebook.

Yup, National Novel Writing Month is here. And, as if I don't already have enough on my plate, I'm diving in head first with the hopes of having a 50,000 word novella completed come November 30th.

Pressures on.

At least there aren't any rules about whether the the manuscript has to be any good. I'm counting on pulling out nothing but crap, as, while being a published young adult fiction writer has been on my Top 5 Things Marisa Must Do Before She Turns 30 list (preceded by get married, have kids, travel Europe, and become a professional artist {professional defined loosely} - check check check and check), that certainly does not mean I have any idea how to actually write a publishable book.

Like I said, pressures on.

I always thought being a writer would be the first thing I ever did in life. In high school and college, nothing made me happier than Creative Writing assignments and even 20 page term papers. I graduated college with a degree in Creative Arts, my major emphasis being English Literature and minor emphasis being Art for Children with the plans of becoming a teacher.

Life kind of got in the way of my creativity for awhile. Since opening Elegant Snobbery last January, however, my creativity has been coming back. I always have itchy fingers to draw, but my itchy writing fingers are equally twitchy.

Will is a very tolerant husband. He doesn't seem to mind the piles upon piles of notebooks that are constantly spread around the house. And he is used to the look on my face when the dialogue between two unknown characters suddenly starts in my brain and I blank out while I listen to whats going on. Sometimes he even passes me a pen and notebook so I can scribble it all down before the voices stop.

No, it isn't schizophrenia or multiple personalities. At least I don't think so. Just a lot of characters having conversations, confrontations, and trying very hard to tell me their story.

So, that brings me to now, only a few days before the craziness begins. I've never been successful with NaNoWriMo before. I tried it two years ago, but only got 15,000 words done before Gracie, only 18 months old at the time, made things too rough for me. And, as I was hugely pregnant with Annelie, I was too tired to have my late night typing sessions.

Now I'm ready. I've got my notebook full of characters, plot, and setting. My mood music play list has been filled with Muse, Placebo, Marjorie Fair, Ghostland Observatory, and Linkin Park. My black Ultra Round Stic Grip Bic pen (which doubles as a microphone when I need to take a break from typing) has become permanently attached to my hand, ready to jot down any little note.

Fingers crossed. I still have art to print, package, and create. As well as a house to clean, kids to dress, cook for and play with. Maybe this month will be a success... or maybe I'll have to quit only 15,000 words into my novel.

Whatever happens, I'm just happy to take the plunge and hopeful that I might actually make a move on getting that last check on my list taken care of in the next few years before my 30th birthday.

Good luck to any of you other bloggers who are attempting NaNoWriMo this year! And if you are interested in learning more about it, but don't know where to look, be sure to visit http://nanowrimo.org

xoxo,