The Writer at the Gates of Dawn: NaNoWriMo—Day 1

National Novel Writing Month 2014 is finally here, and the previous weeks' apprehension and doubt seem as a distant fever dream, every bit as ridiculous as they are gone. Like so many, I eagerly awaited the strike of midnight to begin this year's novel. The paralysis of staring into the abyss of a blank page lasted no more than thirty minutes, and by 1am I had done away with the pressures that once plagued the entirety of past Novel Writing Months. Though there will no doubt be pressures galore as my word count struggles under duress of the looming deadline, the battle is already won: I remembered that NaNoWriMo is meant to be fun.

There's still much work to be done, both on the page and off; I fully intend to make a serious attempt at completing a novel worthy of publication, and that calls for outlines, notes, and timelines. A few months ago, using graph paper, I designed a timeline specific to the composition of this novel in particular. It's meant to enable me to divide a single, 35-year timeline into five 7-year portions:

I think it will take a system of color-coded symbols and indicators, as with footnotes, that correspond to entries on an accompanying number of pages fleshing out the basic narrative in chronological order. 

Honestly, this level of organization and planning has me inordinately excited.

There's also a decent amount of research to be done in terms of necessary story details, in addition to the standard technical studies and review of inspirational materials—works in a similar milieu or style, works that keep me motivated.

Much as it won't always feel as such, there's plenty of time for all of that. Soon the pressure will mount, of course, and the material itself will no doubt play a part in weighing me down as well. For now, it's wonderful just to have awakened on November 1st with a few quality paragraphs under my belt. Time for a little more sauntering into the work's early stages. It's a glorious morning to be a writer...

Countdown to NaNoWriMo—Are You In or Out?

Image courtesy of National Novel Writing Month.

October is winding down and that can only mean that, once again, National Novel Writing Month looms ominously on the horizon. During the month of November, participants endeavor to meet daily writing goals of at least 1,667 words; by month's end, this will have added up to 50,000 words which is, for many a burgeoning writer, far more than they'd yet managed for a single work. While it's not a contest by conventional standards, NaNoWriMo is a competition with oneself—and against distraction and disillusionment, among other things—and the meeting or exceeding of that 50,000 word goal is a win no matter how you look at it. To the uninitiated, NaNoWriMo may seem little more than an extreme writing exercise, a means of practicing at the discipline of working daily toward a sizable word count. And it is that, make no mistake. At its heart, NaNoWriMo is, as officially described, a "fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing." Veterans of the annual event can tell you, as they well know, that it's also much, much more than that...

The Writer Who Went Up an Idea and Came Down a Novel

From the outside, it seems almost a simple thing, to add word after word until a desired total has been reached. For a few, I imagine this is all the WriMo really amounts to, the placing of one foot in front of the other until eventually you've walked somewhere. There's no stipulation as to the coherence of participants' novels, and one could just as easily ramble through a stream-of-consciousness fever dream of a story if thus inclined. Even then, with little thought regarding character development or plotting, this oversimplified view ignores the reality of watching as an idea grows across the mounting number of pages. There's a feeling—equal parts exhilaration and panic—which emerges as a realization gradually dawns on you: The power to write a novel is within your grasp. The sense of triumph at having discovered this power is awesome, in the classic sense of the word. Over time, of course, this feeling can wane and, I suspect, it's a desire to rekindle that sense of agency that brings many a writer back year after year.

It's Dangerous to Go Alone!

This isn't to say there aren't lions at the gates. It's an arduous task to set for oneself, one fraught with perils. There will be days on which the words will refuse to come, where every keystroke feels like a horrible misstep; other days, it will seem as if the world conspires to keep you from your computer, typewriter, or notebook; often, the grand conspirator will be you yourself, as the prospect of washing dishes or alphabetizing your library suddenly seems too delightfully tempting to resist. For those who choose to compose a more complicated plot, the containment and sorting of a host of ideas becomes a burden all its own. Over time, as the deadline looms, an understandable amount of stress can build; even the strain of writing at length itself can be enough to wear a writer down. It's easy to fall behind, given the myriad variables with which life can confront you, and there you'll find discouragement—in addition to whatever natural sense of self-doubt you typically harbor. Under these mounting pressures, many participants will drop out and fall to the wayside. NaNoWriMo is not without its casualties. Thankfully, with NaNoWriMo you're rarely alone.

For most of us, when the writing happens it's just us and the medium—usually a computer—but there are alternatives. Write-ins are a popular way of celebrating the WriMo spirit with others, and engaging in word sprints—furiously sustained bursts of output—can be a part of these write-ins or online events (I find mine on Twitter, via @NaNoWordSprints, @TheSprintShack and, of course, #WriteClub sprints with @FriNightWrites). There are Facebook groups, the forums on the NaNoWriMo website, message boards and blogs aplenty; the point is, at nearly any hour of the day, there are bound to be other WriMo participants somewhere out there, struggling as you struggle, stressing as you stress, and few will deny a shoulder or ear if you need a little support before leaping back into the fray. As I've remarked often in the past, a writing community is invaluable, and at few times more so than during NaNoWriMo.

You Can't Win if You Don't Play

With victory on one side, and an army of challenges on the other, it seems an uneven match, an uphill climb all the way. I won't lie, it is easier to not write anything at all. There may be guilt or shame in abandoning an interest that verges on a calling, but the inertia of doing nothing at all can be so simple to obey. Imagine all the television you could watch, all the reading you could get done, all the lazing about without concern for word totals or character arcs...it's certainly tempting. But it might also just be a convenient way of masking fear and doubt. At the end of the day, only you can decide whether or not you have it in you to be the writer you dream of being. Maybe you won't reach 50,000 words this year, or maybe you will but you won't like the end result. I'm of the mind that you still win just by trying, but your mileage may vary. Either way, the only way to find out for sure is to give it a shot, to grant yourself the opportunity to see what you can do when the chips are down. And honestly, it really is a blast. Surviving a WriMo is like nothing else...

I have to confess, when I began drafting this post, I honestly wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to undertake another year's challenge. I haven't prepared the way I had last year, and under the strain of the year's difficulties my writing has suffered greatly. But I've talked myself into it, now. The potential rewards are just too great, even if I should fail in reaching the goal. After all, it's not in the absence of hardship that we find success, but in its endurance. So, while I may not have an outline (yet) or more than an inkling as to what I'll eventually write, count me in.

Now how about you?

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon: October '14 Comes to a Close

It's hard to know how to address the close of yet another fantastic Read-a-thon. This is, in part, due to the fact that I last awoke 24 hours and 15 minutes ago and am, quite understandably, more than a little tired. There's also some blame to levy against the fact that, in the previous two events, I at some point slipped into several hours' napping, and felt I'd somehow cheated on my way to the end. Every time, the experience has been unique, despite the persistent themes of revelry with fellow readers and a reverence for the written word. This is, perhaps, the first major takeaway; no matter how many Read-a-thons I enjoy, I imagine each will produce its own special flavor, bring with it its own unique rewards. First, the official survey, and then some final thoughts before resting my eyes a spell.

End of Event Meme

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? I'd have to say somewhere around hours 22 or 23. I'd really thrown myself into reading, and between the book's tone and my exhaustion, things took a rather dark turn.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that could keep a Reader engaged for next year? I'd recommend the book I read this time around, but at over 1k pages I don't think it's necessarily the best idea, not unless finishing is low on your list of priorities. For science fiction fans and, to a lesser extent mystery fans, Asimov's Robot novels (The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn, and short story collections like I, Robot) would be excellent choices. 

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve Read-a-thon for next year? I did wonder, at one point, whether or not anyone had tried enlisting celebrity participants. Advocacy for literacy is a popular enough cause, and there are plenty of writers out there who enjoy engaging with their fans in ways that put their own fanhood on prominent display. Could you imagine a Read-a-thon in which Neil Gaiman shares updates on his favorite reads?

4. What do you think worked really well in this year's Read-a-thon? Everything. Honestly, this is no exaggeration. I've only participated in three Read-a-thons now, but this was by far the smoothest. If I absolutely had to single something out, I think the "home page" was tidy and efficient, from sign-ups to the lists of prize winners. But seriously, job well done by all involved.

5. How many books did you read? Part of one.

6. What were the names of the books you read? Stephen King's IT

7. Which book did you enjoy the most? I love IT so far.

8. Which did you enjoy least? N/A

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year's Cheerleaders? I wasn't a Cheerleader, and the only advice I'd have is for them to make sure they check back to see if Readers have responded to their wonderful blog comments. Not to follow-up with more, really, just so they can see some sign of appreciation for the good they've done by cheering us on.

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? 100% without a doubt participating, barring major life crises and acts of nature beyond my control.

Final Thoughts

Although I have a great deal more reading yet to do before I reach the end of IT, I have two observations that have crystallized over the course of my reading thus far:

1. Stephen King is a far, far better writer than I can ever hope to become.

2. This by no means implies that I can't become a writer of that caliber. Exceeding my own hopes isn't all that different from exceeding my own expectations, and I do that every day, no sweat.

As I do following any fit of serious reading, I'm reminded of just how amazing it can be. But in this instance, more so than similar cases past, I find myself genuinely yearning for the reading of every book I've ever set aside for some indeterminate point in my future. I think of taking a year off from writing, or at least a year off from worrying about writing, and just spending day in and day out reading with an appetite as voracious as the awaiting book pile is tall. After this year's National Novel Writing Month, I might do just that; I should have enough to focus on compiling, revising, editing, etc. and can at least focus on that instead of the actual writing itself. Or maybe I'll just make reading my main priority, and let writing happen as it may, without pressure. Of the few books I've managed to finish this year, quite a few had been on my list for years. I think I should like to knock a few dozen more such titles off that long-standing list, instead of waiting for Read-a-thon to come back around and remind me, like some long-suffering amnesiac, that reading is so much more than fun. For me, and so many of us, it's essential to a well-lived life.

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon: Deliriously Entering the Homestretch

Despite the numerous and wondrous distractions which kept me from my goal of reading obsessively throughout the entirety of the Read-a-thon, this will be the first (out of three events) for which I will have remained awake for all 24 hours. I'm no stranger to insomnia, we're long-time friends, but it's usually the case that aiming for sleeplessness is the surest way to bring about a surprise 12 hour "nap". 

While the day hasn't succeeded in wearing me down, IT definitely has. I'm not surprised in the least that it's as dark and foreboding as I had ever indication to expect. What surprises me is how easily it's crept under my skin, along the length of my bones, up into my mind and down into my soul. As the grown members of the "Losers Club" find their memories returning, I too find myself recalling events past that I'd just as soon not remembered. To be fair, this is a welcome development, in that my writing is largely informed by my own experiences, bordering on memoir, and so to remember so much more of my childhood is a boon to the writing I hope to do during this year's National Novel Writing month. On the other hand...it's just a darn good thing I've got such a capable therapist to handle the aftermath of this book's reading. 

I'm not suggesting that anyone should avoid reading IT, but be prepared. Be more prepared than I was. Be as prepared as you can be, and then prepare some more. You must steel yourself if you're going to put yourself through the paces alongside these terrified children hiding behind the guises of capable and successful adults. King has a talent for exploring human nature that I had failed to recognize up to this point. I'm not sure what I could have done, had I known beforehand. I hope I'll know what to do after the fact.

Seriously, this book is messing with me. I need that, to some extent. I just hope there are a few doses of mercy along the way...maybe even just one?

Please?

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon: The Point of No Return

No matter how hard you try, there's just no accounting for every possible variable you might encounter in the course of any given day. Read-a-thon is surely no exception. As Jurassic Park's Dr. Ian Malcom, played by Jeff Goldblum, put it "Life, uh, uh...uh...finds, uh...a way." And I now understand it to be an unavoidable fact of life that there will always be something that puts a crimp in my attempts at an unabbreviated Read-a-thon. 

Now that it's passed, it's time to get down to business. 

Having won both a door prize and a mini-challenge prize, and with no more distractions in sight, there's nothing stopping me from tackling my chosen read in earnest. I know I won't finish, but that doesn't mean I can't take a sizable bite out of the remaining pages. I may find my mind wandering, I may grow tired, but I'm determined to fight my way to the finish. I'll keep checking in on Twitter periodically, to cheer people along and continue sharing in what has now surely devolved into a kind of madness, but reading's the thing until the Read-a-thon draws to its close.