Surprised Myself

[Jess]

Yesterday I mentally prepared for today. I could hardly wait until 12:01 AM so I could get started on my NaNoWriMo project. But leading up to midnight I watched two movies: Georgia Rules and Catch and Release. Not bad. At 12:01, I started typing. Two false starts that left me cold. (No, I didn't delete them but I did highlight them in yellow.) I put on my own copy of Must Love Dogs, and started writing again. Finally I found a beginning that satisfied me. My strength is dialogue. Once I put the telling behind and started writing dialogue I made some progress. But soon, John Cusack demanded my attention and my writing became a peck here and there, between laughs.

I went to bed at 2:30 AM.

Today I wrote a little more and have ended up with 2,232 words. I'll sit with my laptop in my lap this evening and gather a few more words. I'm so easily blocked with dumb questions and observations, needed research that I don't dare give deep thought to this story. I just want to write it in the most logical, linear way I can. Deep thought/plotting/editing can come later. This month I just want to have some fun.

Husband is coming in from Houston. Writer's meeting on Saturday. Church on Sunday. Good thing I made a semi-strong start because it'll be slow-moving during the next three days. I need to keep one word in my mind: fun! fun! fun! I'm proud of myself for producing as much as I did. However, I've noticed others have written as many as 5,000 words. Wow!

Okay, stay focused, Jess. Don't pay any attention to what everyone else is doing. Just do what you can do. Keep your eyes on your own work!

Gotcha.

[Jana Oliver]

Good luck with NaNoWriMo. I took part last year and it broke me of the constantly wanting to edit, research, futz with the manuscript. Words on page. That's all that counts. You have plenty of time after Nov. 30 to clean up the mess. And it will be a mess. First drafts always are!

I'll look forward to hearing your progress. Write on!