Count Down to NaNoWriMo

I have been in a writing funk recently. No blogging, no short stories, novels, vignettes, not even Facebook updates. But here I am blogging again and it is all Anne's fault. Camp NaNo is looming on the horizon, ready to eat various faces come August and damned if I am ready for it. For all of the haters out there who think NaNo is a waste of time, I applaud you on finding the right way to spend time and then would invite you to kindly piss off.

This isn't for you.

This is for the people who like writing, like events, and like doing things and not feel like they are doing it alone.

NaNo rarely allows someone to spit out a new novel, shiny and fresh and ready for print. As a matter of fact, I would hazard a conservative guess that it almost never allows for it. But that is hardly the point. The point is words on the page. Whether they are electrons or hand ground ink, they are words that you are stringing together into a narrative.

That 50k mark seems like a big monolith for a lot of new writers. Hell, 50k in a month can look like a lot to even a seasoned writer. But what it does for the new writer is it tells them whether they have what it takes to get over that first hump of writing out the first paragraph of a story. It is a chance, a reason, or an excuse to try to write. It is easier for a lot of people to make time to do something if they say "I am doing it because of X."

There are some people who say 'Well if they really loved writing then people would make time for it. They wouldn't need an excuse.'

To that I say bollocks. There are innumerable things that people love doing that they put off in order to do things that are deemed more important. Like work, or raise children, or just the million tiny things that Life, in its infinite fuckery, likes to throw at you in order to sap away your energy.

NaNo is for those people. It is a chance to get the other judgmental tsk-tskers in their lives, who normally frown on what are deemed 'frivolous pursuits', off their backs by giving them something to point to. What is not needed are new people to come in and replace one group of finger waggers for another.

So this year, put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, and write. Write long and hard. NaNo is for everyone, so play the game and you might just have some fun.

The Fallout

So, one of the problems with being home with a sickness is that you are really unlikely to get jack shit done that is productive. I keep saying 'oh, I am sick, I can write a lot more than normal!' but this is a dirty lie. It is difficult to stay focused or be on top of your game, and since I feel dismal anyway, it doesn't help to make myself feel worse by writing badly. (end of terrible excuses here)

So I play games. The most recent is one that has been on my wish list for TEN DAMNED YEARS.
Fallout 3.

I must say, it is great. Maybe not well worth the wait, but since I had to wait it at least did not disappoint. The characters are amusing, the situations range from gritty to hilarious, and most of all the game is FUN to play.

It is difficult for me to say that, since normally I am so hard on games, but it is. It is just plain fun to play. Whether I am out harvesting Super Mutants or trying to fix a leaky pipe, the game delivers.

Now, before you go 'but but but! the problems!' let me just say, I know. The game is buggy, I hate SecureROM with every fiber of my being, and it is so hard to be evil, that staying neutral in the game makes cracking walnuts with your ass cheeks look like a breeze.

Sure, you can just run around shooting everyone, but where the hell is the fun in that? Who is left to extort, take advantage of, or annoy? Where is the mastermind? Or the brigand? Our Mephisto of the Wastes?

These are things that can be fixed later though, so pick up a copy and play. Now then, I am going to go and pretend to get back to work while I relive the joy of ten years ago.

How to finish a novel.

In this post I will discuss the step by step process of writing a finished novel. It is a long, dusty road, so stick with me.

First, preparation. Only one step here, and that is have an idea of what you want to write.

Next, writing it. This is where the long list comes in.

1. Sit in your chair and write your damned story.

OK, I guess that was rather short after all. In all seriousness though that is the way to finish a novel. Suck it up and stick your ass in a chair until your eyes hurt and your brain is a wheezing wreck. Then, order a pizza, indulge a hobby or vice, and get back in the trenches.

This is seriously the hardest part of finishing anything. Let that simmer for a while as National Novel Writing Month looms before us.

Good luck.