National Novel Writing Month

In 2008, whilst on maternity leave, I stumbled across a little event that I pretty much promptly dismissed as slightly crazy.  In 2009, I googled it again, life being a little less hectic than when Kirstin was an infant.  I decided to announce my participation in Nanowrimo (to my husband only) and I threw myself head first into the task of writing a 50,000 word novel in thirty days.

I succeeded.  And it felt good!  My novel, "Patchwork Saturdays" still hangs out on my laptop (the third laptop I've had since then, actually) incomplete and neglected.

In 2010, spurred on by the previous year's success, I pulled up another neglected project, "Undesirable", a story I started writing in 2007, after Connor's midwife assisted birth.  I added approximately 200 pages to the 30 pages I already had on the go.  I called that a success too.

In 2011, I wrote a story about a girl who finds herself unceremoniously dumped at her grandfather's door.  I kind of like that one, and I actually managed to wrap the story up in 50,000 words.  I haven't read it since, but if I remember correctly, it's got some neat potential.

In 2012, on November 3rd, I gave birth to our fourth child, my daughter, Brooklynn.  I got a late start that month, about a week into the month, but I managed to add another 50,000 words to Undesireable, while nursing a very sleepy baby round the clock, bringing it to a somewhat solid completion.

Last year, 2013, I started another novel, based on a crazy dream about a road trip and visit to IHOP.  That novel, Journey, is about half finished.  It, too, has some neat potential but I haven't touched it since November 30th.

So, here we are, November 1st, and again I'm faced with the challenge, and thrill, of committing 50,000 words to paper (well, who are we kidding, to a word document, nobody writes novels by hand anymore).  The sensible me would take one of my earlier novels and finish it.  And I almost did.  But writing from scratch, with a completely blank slate, is SO much more fun then doing clean-up on something that floats between cycles of literary potential and rubbish.

So, here I go with unfinished novel number five.  It doesn't have a name.  And until this afternoon, it didn't have a plot or a setting or anything.  Just a very vague concept that I wanted to write a (insert spoiler here) novel.  In fact, come to think of it, my narrator doesn't yet have a name.

So... because I'm so terrible at finishing things, and years after my proclamation that I'm going to write a novel, publish it, then write another, until the royalties are such that I can retire from my government job and spend my days creating, I've decided (and yes, I may regret this) to write this year's novel online so that people (you) can read it while I create it.

Dumb?  Maybe.

Smart?  Probably not.

But what's the point in calling myself a writer if I have no readers to write for?

So, I've started a new blog... " http://shewritesontheside.blogspot.ca/ " where I am going to be posting my novel every night.  Kind of like a serial, War of the Worlds type story, except without the alien encounter.  It'll probably be backwards, so you might have to do some digging, but it'll be there in its entirety by the end of the month, unfinished or not.  I debated posting it here, but I've already strayed so far away from "Laura's Family" with this blog, that I kind of thought that it was time to clean it up a bit and start putting my writing elsewhere.

Please be kind to me.  November is all about Quantity writing, not Quality writing.  It's all about getting the story on paper... and fixing up the typos and plot holes later. And there will be typos and plot holes.  I assure you!  People's names will change through the course of the month, pets and friends important to the story on the 1st, will vanish inexplicably by the 30th.  Loose ends will be left untied.  Brilliant foreshadowing will lead to... nothing.  It's the nature of Nanowrimo, for me.  I don't start with an outline, I make it all up as I go along.  So, if you choose to follow along, I ask that you be patient with me.  You're reading a first draft and, according to Hemingway, "The first draft of anything is shit!"

I would love to see your comments through the month.  Suggestions, questions, etc.  I may not take any of them into account (in the first draft) or maybe I will.  We shall see.

Anyway, enjoy my first 1800+ words.  I've enjoyed writing them... and now that I have a vague notion in my head about where I want this story to go... I'm looking forward to adding more tomorrow.

Laura