NaNoWriMo: week one round-up

It's only the end of week one of NaNoWriMo, but I feel like I've learned so much already! I started this out feeling so very overwhelmed. The idea of writing a novel in 30 days is absurd. How does one crank out a 50,000 page novel in 30 days? I couldn't even begin to imagine doing it in a year! Where do you find the time?

You know what? It's not near as difficult as I had imagined. And it doesn't sound so overwhelming when you talk about it in terms of daily goals...1,667 words a day doesn't sound like so very much. That sounds...doable. Still daunting (I do have four kids y'all!) but it very nearly sounds like an achievable goal. I'm starting to believe that I can actually do it!

The hardest part for me was coming up with what to write. In the end I guess I'm cheating a little. I knew I needed something with a simple story line, something that was linear enough for me to keep trucking through the month. I can't really afford to get hung up on a plot twist somewhere...I just don't have that much time. And you know that old adage? The one that goes, "Write what you know"? Yeah...I'm basically basing a story off my own life.

Now before you cry "Foul!" hear me out. I'm not the only one doing that. There is actually an entire section in the forums that is for people doing this very same thing. It's the rebel group. Yeah, go ahead and laugh at the idea of me being a rebel...I did too. But in this case it works. I am playing fast and loose with the details, but the story is pretty much my life from high school graduation on.

As an added bonus, it's giving me time to remember things. I've thought about (and in one case, talked to since I found her on Facebook) people who haven't run across the front of my brain in years. I'm also rediscovering parts of myself that have fallen by the wayside over the years. It's turning into an interesting exercise in introspection.

I am determined to use this project as a jump-off point to regular writing. I do have some "real" ideas for stories, but they aren't near ironed out enough for me to write in the amount of time I have for this exercise. I plan to keep writing after this month is over, working on some of those other stories. I'm hopeful that I will be focused enough next November to attempt an actual novel. This year it's all about the word count, baby.

Speaking of which, I should go get to writing. As of right now I have 10,850 words. Today's recommended goal is 11,667 so I have a bit more work ahead of me today! I hope all you other NaNo'ers out there are staying on track!