NaNoWriMo Kick-off

I went to a National Novel Writing Month Kick-off this afternoon and I am really excited about the coming month and the writing challenges that will come with it. I saw a couple of friends I made last year during NaNoWriMo. After saying she was glad to see me, one particularly wonderful and thoughtful woman asked me about my health. I had forgotten that last November was only two months after I learned of my prostate cancer and NaNoWriMo marked my return to fiction writing.

I don't have my outline finished yet -- actually, I haven't even written any of it on paper, although I have some of it mapped out in my head. But I described the plot to a couple of friends today and they thought it was intriguing. So I feel encouraged.

I don't know if I have a 50,000-word novel in my head yet but that won't deter me. It's time to see if I have any creative juices flowing and can face the challenge.

I like the idea of writing by abandon, as if I am walking on a tightrope without a net. (Though I must admit as a child -- and as an adult -- I hated people tightrope walking without a net. I was always afraid they'd fall and get killed in front of me.) Writing during NaNoWriMo is freeing. It is writing for the pure joy of the experience.

Writing is always hard, or I think it should be. If not, you are not digging deep enough. But there is also joy in the experience of crafting something out of nothing. It's a little like playing god.

So bring it on.

This is a generally upbeat posting. I am listening to some music I love and I am enjoying myself. But tomorrow or sometime during the week I am going to blog about something that troubles me in the publishing industry. So stay tuned.

But for now, have a good week of writing. Don't give up. And thanks for reading.