Tomorrow NaNoWriMo officially begins and I have to write approximately 1,667 words every day to reach my goal of a novel by the end of the month. If I still had the remnants of a perfectionist in me, she will most definitely be curled up in the corner, in the fetal position, rocking back and forth by the end of it.
I have avoided doing any background work for the novel as well. Here’s my theory for this (see if you buy into it):
1) If I do background work it just gives my inner perfectionist the chance to take hold and I will spend the entire month doing only background work.
2) I’m running with the theory espoused by Sara Douglass that the first novel you write is going to be 100%, unmitigated crap and you might as well get it out of your system and move on. Full disclosure this wouldn’t technically be my first novel but I still think it applies given that the first novel was started in my teens, finished in my early 20s and of the fantasy genre.
3) I think background work may stop me from the verbal diarrhea necessary in order to complete this thing. If I don’t have a plan then I can’t get into trouble for not following the aforementioned plan.
4) I might as well enjoy my freedom while it lasts . . .
So you’ll have to excuse me if the blog looks a little barren over the next month or so. I’ll post updates on what I’m writing for NaNoWriMo so you can point and laugh at me.
And I’ll still be posting a litany of photos as per usual, just like this one (which is from ages ago, but is just too cute not to share):
LOL – I’m with you – DON’T DO BACKGROUND WORK! The worst thing for a perfectionist… I should know, I’m a reformed perfectionist myself. Having four children knocked it ALL (well almost all) out of me.
Love you blog.
Keep on keeping on.
Kelly
http://www.beafunmum.com
@Kelly Burstow, Exactly! I do a fine job of procrastinating on my own without adding background work to it.
Hi Zoey, I don’t understand your problem regarding your novel:-) … Could you not apply to those who set the rules to request a change of genre? It seems to me you are already fulfilling their word requirement each day on your blog … not a novel, but a factual recount which will inevitably evolve into a historical recount … a mere technicality I would say!
@great_auntie_book, There is a separate “National Blog Posting Month” (NaBloPoMo) where you try to post something every day for a month – so I guess I could just do that.
Maybe I should write a novel about somebody trying to write a novel in 30 days?