NaNoWriMo

[jackofallgeeks]

So I've wanted to write this story of mine for years. In truth, I have no fewer than two stories I want to write; the one kind of spun off from the other and they've since evolved, each unstarted let alone unfinished, into rather different entities. and never mind the host of characters and settings I've brought forth in my Snippets.

(And, in fact, the story I'm currently toying with is looking like it's going to branch into a trilogy.)

My problem is two-fold. The first is the simplest to fix: I can't get started. I can't figure out how to begin the story, or where to begin it. This is in part because of the bigger problem: I don't know how to get it where I want it to go. I don't know how to get the characters I have to be in the place where I need them to be.

Anyways. I bring all this up because ready or not, I'm writing the story next month for NaNoWriMo. I was actually just going to do it unofficially, but when Leslie suggested I sign up, I figured why not?

It was my plan to say something like, "you guys should all do this, too," mostly 'cause I'm looking for a writing group type thing. But as very few of you are local enough to meet me at Starbucks, I'm not entirely sure how effective that could be. Still, I will say that it'd be nice if some (or all) of you played along with me, either officially in NaNoWriMo or not. I know at least one of my friends completed the 50,000 words in 30 days a few years ago (though she never did let me see the piece she ended up with); so I know it can be done.

I think I'm just rambling now. I'm really excited to write, but I'm also really scared of it not going anywhere. A part of me wants to just take some of the other characters I've created for my Snippets and write a completely fresh, un-thought story for them; but a bigger part of me *really* wants to write this story, too. Not even 'too'; there's really no other story I *want* to write.

But anyways. Yes. I need chocolate.

Comments

[mmeubiquitous.livejournal.com]

I'm a big fan of the organic approach to fiction...just start writing and let the story unfold without trying to steer it in any particular direction. It will go in some directions you expect, but it will also go in directions you don't expect. And that's ok. Just let go and write. And don't worry whether it's good or not...first drafts suck. That's why they're first drafts. Just write.

I'll be doing NaNoWriMo too...hopefully I'll actually get through it this year!

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

I'm planning on doing something like a "NaNoWriMo Updates" series here on LJ, with the intent of sharing my experience with the world (or at least my small subset thereof). I'd be interested in hearing how other people are doing, too. I'm not sure that I'll actually have anything substantial about my story in them, mostly because I've found it's taboo (and bad creatively, for me) to actually talk about a story before it's been written.