Now approaching the starting line

This time I’m going to make it, I tell myself.

I refuse to quit.

I will push through to the end.

This is my dream and I won’t give it up.

From a seventh grade girl whose 10 page short story received a “D” (because it was too long), to the woman I am today, I shake my fist and yell “I’ll show you Mrs. G!”

I dust off my notes, test out my best pens, stack the clean white notebooks, organize my playlists and wait for November 1^st to arrive.

NaNoWriMo ya’ll.

It’s where the writers come to compete. It is the Iditarod of Novel writing.

And I’m ready.

Or at least I’d like to think that I am.

In truth, I’ve done no planning for this year’s NaNoWriMo (which stands for National Novel Writing Month). There has been no prep work on characters, story lines, or conflict… gah. If there was ever an unprepared writer, it is surely I.

But like any writer, I pick up the pen (or keyboard) and soldier on at the beginning of every November, vowing THIS.WILL.BE.MY.MONTH.

I’m not looking to win. I just want to cross the finish line. There’s something equally as satisfying completing the goal as there is crossing the finish line.

But there are things I can still do to prepare for NaNoWriMo:

• Relax. Writing is supposed to be fun. Focus on the fun and not the clock (or word count as the case may be).
• Set a reasonable goal for the day. I don’t know if I can consistently sit for an hour and write so I’m focusing on smaller chunks of time.
• Make time to read and do the other things I love. NaNoWriMo won’t be any fun if I don’t include the other things that I’m passionate about.
• Keep pen and paper with me at all times; because I never know when an idea or a conflict within my novel will work itself out.
• Find a writing buddy. Back in the day when I did A LOT of freelancing I had a writing buddy. It was nice to have someone to check in with and keep me honest.

As I blow the dust off my NaNoWriMo profile, hang my motivational posters and set my word tracker for 50,000; I ask of you – stand on the sidelines, cheer for me, hand me chocolates and coffee as I run by and keep your fingers crossed that I make it across the finish line this time.

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? How have you prepared?