What Laura Did Today...

Have any of you heard of NaNoWriMo?

You should know about NaNoWriMo. Really. So I will tell you.

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, takes place in November, always. During that month, deluded people of all ages who want to cause themselves repetative stress injuries by typing a lot, write a novel of 50,000 words or 175 pages by midnight on November 30.

This is particularly hard when factoring in Thanksgiving. Which I spent typing, during one year, and refusing dessert.

Then I ate pumpkin pie and tried to keep it off my keyboard. Good times.

And when I finally reached the finish line, that year, I threw myself a little party in my room involving television, which had been restricted for the purposes of NaNo.

Why am I doing this?

Because I love writing. Yes, in case you had not noticed, I enjoy the sound of my fingers on the keyboard the way some people enjoy the sound of their own voice. And I love stories. Which is why I have shamelessly read through tons of our collection in the past months, with no end in sight.

Also, I think my Eliot Rosewater goal might be accomplished too quickly, so I am throwing some extra drama into the mix. Because if I don't break down crying at one point or other during this whole deal, I won't have really done any work, will I?

Here's the thing about NaNo--they don't care if you write utter crap! No, they expect it. Because you aren't allowed to edit as you go, since if you did, you would end up with no novel at all.

Authors like Neil Gaiman send you little e-mail encouragement notes, filling one day each week with sunshine.

Tons of other, equally fun-loving folk do this every year! You can talk to them, ask them questions, read excerpts from their novels-in-progress...and it's great.

Two years ago, I owned. This year, I have, you know, a job and not school (which can be ignored, as you all know, to great peril). This year, I have twenty-some books to read in a time-sensitive way. This year, I have to wake up before noon and go to sleep before midnight, when my best writing gets done.

So this year, it will be a challenge.

I'll keep you up to date...