Meg Dowell Writes

Another day off of school = more blog-reading for you!

Unless you’re in college. Then haha.

I just realized yesterday that, though I went on one of my majorly-famous rants about NaNoWriMo yesterday without really realizing it, I never actually gave you a link to my author page. So there it is. Right there. You can read all about me (well, not really–just the fact that I don’t have a favorite book, and what I believe I was born to do, among a few other not-so-important things) as well as check out my short novel synopsis. It’s not a very good one, and I’m thinking about rewriting it, but oh well. You can’t read my exerpt yet, mainly because I haven’t even started writing yet, and writing anything before November 1 would be cheating.

 

During the month of November (and this is new, since this blog didn’t exist last November), I’m going to post a little every day about my writing and life during NaNo. It should be really interesting, since last year during November I was a complete basket case, and said plenty of things to people that I probably didn’t mean, and if I would’ve had a blog back then, I probably would have gone on rants similar to that one awhile back about books, and how much I’m in love with them.

So check back much more frequently starting November 1st to get an inside look of what it’s like to write a novel in thirty days, from school to homework to the writing process itself. You’ll be able to laugh with me as I talk about the places I’ve fallen asleep (like last year, at school, leaning against a brick wall. No joke), cry with me when I have a yucky writing day, and rejoice with me when I finally hit 50,000 words.

Okay, so maybe you won’t exactly cry, or rejoice, since it takes plenty of energy to do both of those things–and if you’re also going to be a part of the craziness this year, exerting more energy than necessary on things not having to do with writing would just be wrong. And if you’re not a writer, or are too busy to crank out all those words in the crazy month of November, you probably don’t care very much. Unless you’re Evie, who was with me all throughout Reminiscence; who stayed up with me, encouraging me to get to my goal on July 31st; who read the entire thing and convinced me it was worth fixing up; who is probably reading this right now and shaking her head, finally convinced that I’ve gone off the deep end long before NaNo has even started.

It’s good to have friends who care!

Last year, when I was explaining NaNo to another friend, who already thought I was a little loopy, she took a minute to think about what I’d just shoved down her throat. Then she turned to me slowly, narrowed her eyes, and went, “So…you’re going to be tired and cranky and mood-swingy all month? Kind of like you’re going to be on your period for thirty straight days?!”

Pretty much.

Now, before I go into any more detail of what it’s like to be a Wrimo during November before it’s even begun, I would very much like to inform you that I have put together a list of rules reguarding what you absolutely cannot due and what you absolutely must do during the time you’re busy writing your novel. True for those who are writing, funny for those who aren’t. I call them NaNo Commandments.

No offense to Jesus, because His are so much better. But anyway:

The Ten Commandments  of NanoWriMo

1. Thou shalt have no other novels in place of that chosen by November 1st – You can’t write two novels at once. You just can’t do it! It’s disrespectful to both novels, and it doesn’t count if you have 25,000 words done on one novel and 25,000 done on another. Stick to one for now and save the other(s) for later.
2. Thou shalt not bow down to thy characters – It’s true that your characters can have a tendency to take over your story. You could fall so much in love with them that you change the way the story ends, just to keep them alive or happy or beautiful. The bottom line is, don’t let your characters take control of you–take control of your rebellious characters.
3. Thou shalt not use the Lord’s name in vain, even during November – Of course it can be frustrating, trying to do so much writing every day. Even still, you should keep both your thoughts and your language pure and sunshine-y. Your parents might not let you do NaNo next year if you get in trouble for saying something you shouldn’t have.
4. Thou shalt not rest until their novel is complete – It doesn’t matter if you’re sleep-deprived, cranky, or hungry. Your novel must be completed at all costs! So grab some coffee (or Dr. Pepper) and get to writing.
5. Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother whilst writing a novel – Your parents may be against NaNoWriMo, since it is during school and all, but after you’ve convinced them you won’t fail out of school (if you succeed in convincing them this), honor their wishes. Do your homework before you work on your novel, and stay on top of your chores. You’ll prove to them that you’re capable of writing a novel as well as keeping up with your responsibilities.
6. Thou shalt not murder thy novel – Do not quit! That is probably the absolute worst thing you could do during NaNoWriMo. It doesn’t matter if your plot isn’t making any sense or if your characters are turning on you–stick it out and pledge to finish. Leaving your novel to die in some folder on your computer is no way to treat something you’ve only begun to create from scratch.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery – Meaning, do not under any circumstance abandon your current novel in the middle of November to start another one. No matter what, you will never be able to go back to your first, and your relationship will be ruined forever. Additionally, the novel you try to start in place of the other most likely won’t get very far. So stick to your original, no matter how tough things seem.
8. Thou shalt not steal another’s idea – This is why I don’t talk about my novel in-depth in the forums, or anywhere, for that matter. Keep the best of your ideas to yourself, and don’t be tempted to use other peoples’ ideas. It’s disrespectful, unfair, and just plain wrong.
9. Thou shalt not lie about thy word count – It’s not fair to other people if you say you have 50,000 words done when you don’t. Everyone else worked hard to get to that point. You just typed some numbers into your word count box. It may feel satisfying now, but you’ll feel guilty hanging up your winner’s certificate.
10. Thou shalt not be envious of thy fellow Wrimos – If someone’s novel idea seems a lot more interesting/complicated/awesome than yours, or if they hit the 50,000 mark long before you reach halfway, who cares? Write at your own speed, using your own ideas.

Well, that was fun, wasn’t it? Now my tummy is growling, and it needs some waffles. So have a great day off (or not, if you’re out of high school already, in which case, HA), and remember: no one is forcing you to make friends. You need them to function, no matter how much you may want to be alone on the weekends.

Love&hugs, Meg♥ <—(yay! the heart worked!)