Another Nanowrimo Begins

Once again, I'm pulling away from the dock of fear and insecurity and attempting to write at least 50,000 words of a novel during the month of November. I kept hoping I would get some grand idea for a women's novel (since that would be easier to market to agents/publishers), but alas, all I could come up with was another YA idea.

I woke at 4:40 this a.m. (thanks to the time change) and set right in. For now, I have written 2,607 words toward the goal. I have been walking on the high school track (instead of listening to book on CD while walking on the treadmill) in order to ruminate on my initial idea for a novel entitled The Probability Code. I don't really wish to elaborate on the story line at this point, but I will say that I'm hoping to enter the YA Discovery contest with the first 250 words of the story.

Do you realize how hard it is to write an enticing opening in just 250 words? You have to establish character, place, inciting incident and voice in such a small window of words. Wow! When I entered this contest before, I think they allowed you the first 500 words, but when I went to the website and saw this smaller word count, I wanted to give up before I even started. But, it is worth a shot, even if it feels like a shot in the dark.

In the meantime, I have several cheerleaders in my court on Facebook. It is helpful to commit to it up front and have people holding you accountable for your progress. It would be even better if I had another writer writing alongside me, to gauge word counts against and to spur me on to greater productivity. But, I will plug away without a companion writer and will hopefully end the month with another novel written and another certificate won from the National Novel Writing Month website, congratulating me on a job well done. That's the goal, anyway. We'll see if it all pens out [get it? pens/pans - ha].