No No NaNo

NaNoWriMo fever is sweeping the internet with cyberconnected folks from all walks of life competing (mostly against themselves) to produce a 50,000 word novel in the space of one month. For some this is a month of triumph against adversity. For others--not so much with the triumph part.

One of the things I believe about being a writer is that everyone has his or her own path. Except for finding some way to be productive (and defining what you consider productive for yourself and your career), there are no industry-wide best practices insofar as "how" to write a novel is concerned. Sure, one shouldn't plagiarize, clearly, or eschew grammar entirely, but if you write at nights, in the mornings, in long stretches, on week-ends only, every third day at noon, always with the coffee and bagels--it's your pattern. Realize it. Work it. Stretch it. Own it.

As for me, my pattern may or may not allow me to produce a novel in a month, but this year, the answer is definitely no no NaNo.

Why? Because...

1) Heat makes me nauseous, so I'm staying out of the kitchen.

2) Laptop does not compute.

3) I have these other deadlines.

4) Swine flu.

5) Only 45-odd shopping days until the winter commercialism fest is upon us.

6) I'm on a health kick, and it's not healthy to spend that many hours in the recliner with the computer.

7) The cat said no.

8) November is sweeps month on TV and I watch all the latest episodes for a living. (Ok, ok, WHILE I'm living.)

9) I already wrote a novel in October.

10) I have to finish crocheting the lifesize replica of Edward and Bella before the Twilighters charity auction.

11) As a healthy-sized adult human female, I feel I must refuse to participate in anything that means "little" or "one billionth" of anything.

12) That's what they want you to do.

13) All my books have 49,999 words in them, so I'm a loser from the get-go.

Jody W.
So much cyberspace, so little time!
www.jodywallace.com / www.meankitty.com