a novel undertaking

Just two months until National Novel Writing Month 2016!

It’s only two months until National Novel Writing Month 2016 rolls around. Will I take part? Most likely. Will I succeed? Odds are trending toward 50/50 (at best). My current plan is I have no plan, but this year I will definitely make a plan and have it in place one full month before this whole thing kicks off on November 1st.

I’ll report back at the end of September on the status of the plan, possibly while weeping in despair.

Yesterday I spent some time looking at various distraction-free writing programs but didn’t find any that really clicked. I still prefer WriteMonkey and am hoping the sexy new version launches soon, though I am doubtful of that. I could use the current version of WriteMonkey and probably should. Or Word. Or a notepad and crayons. Or anything. It already feels like I’m making excuses. I wrote my first (admittedly unfinished) novel by hand–using a pencil! Well, several pencils. I don’t need the newest, shiniest writing software in order to write.

But I want it.

Anyway, the proto-plan still in development is to have both the tool and story idea nailed down a month in advance. If I don’t I will officially give up before I even start.

Here’s to my maybe success in a month and my maybe greater success in three months!

Post-NaNo recovery, step 1

Picking up my writing post-NaNoWriMo flame-out will involve a few things. My first step is organization.

Thus I will be doing the following:

  • converting The Ferry over to Scrivener format. I think this will prove illuminating as I continue to work on the second draft.
  • prioritize the short stories I want to use for my collection, discarding weaker ones or pondering whether they are worth reworking.
  • outline my post-Ferry novel.
  • convert last year’s NaNo project (Low Desert) to Scrivener format and consider whether it is worth continuing.
  • decide on the future of thenwrite.com.

That’s enough to keep me busy this month. I also plan to actually write, too! Any progress made will be recorded here.

Only two days until NaNoWriMo!

I just like saying NaNoWriMo.

That would be National Novel Writing Month. I’m signed up and ready to pound out my 50,000+ word masterpiece* over the next 30 days, starting Sunday (no day of rest here).

I intend to keep writing here on a daily basis as well. Perhaps my novel will be about a guy struggling to find work who finds himself trapped in his own blog. It could be called The Blog but in big scary wiggly letters and 3D and stuff. You know.

* my definition may differ than yours…or the dictionary’s