So, NaNoWriMo

Here are my thoughts on National Novel Writing Month:

The first year I did NaNo just to prove I could. I didn't have a plot but I did have a couple of characters, and suprisingly that turned out to be enough. It was an amazing experience, as prior to that I'd only really written non-fiction and didn't expect to like fiction-writing. But I learned that I did like fiction, it wasn't as hard as I expected it to be, and although my novel was pretty crappy, it was a beginning.

The second year I did it because I'd had so much fun the first year. This time I had a plot, but that didn't necessarily make the writing any easier. I had even more fun that time around, and my novel wasn't as crappy as the first one. I later edited it and came up with a finished product that I was then and still am very attached to, even though I didn't sell it.

The third year I did NaNo with less enthusiasm because, I realize now, I was doing it with a purpose (writing a novel) rather than for a higher purpose (having fun.) That was a mistake. Due to circumstances beyond my control I didn't "win" (write 50k words) anyway. It was a big bummer.

Also last year I made the discovery that I still have a lot to learn about writing. Hence the return to college to get the degree and see if there really is something I've missed, or not learned yet. I figure if the lightbulb hasn't gone off by the time I finish school, it never will.

This is the fourth year I plan to sit down on November 1 and start a novel. I have a character and no plot, which seems for me and for the purposes of this endeavor to be the recipe for NaNo success. I don't know how I'm going to manage to win considering that my life is busier now than it's been any other year I've attempted this. But I am determined!