NaBloPoMo: Are We Really Doing This?

November. It's pretty, but it spawns monsters. Photo by Joe & [Maris]

My dear, dear readers (I think there might be FOUR of you, now!) - It is November 1st. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking how impressed you are that I know what month it is. No, that's not it. Some of you might be thinking, "Ah, November - when a writer's fancy turns to thoughts of National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo." I can't blame you for thinking that, and you might also be tempted to think, after this summer's Camp NaNoWriMo project resulted in the spilling of over 80,000 words (and counting), that the bug has re-bitten me and I'll be noveling away at 1,800 words a day throughout this month.

WRONG!

Yes, my writer's pilot light has been relit to some extent in recent months (more on that in a future post), but no - this month, I shall attempt NaBloPoMo, or National Blog Posting Month. I've done this once before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it (that's a lie). It's simple enough - just a blog post a day for 30 days. Now I REALLY know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "WHY? Why would anyone attempt such a thing? What is the matter with you?"

Reasons... 

First, what's the matter with YOU? Ha!

Also, because why not? "Because you're not done with your 2023 novel, Joe. That's why not!" Yeah, well, that novel needs so much reworking that my brain does the blue screen of death when I try to think about it. Actually, it's more of a pill bug-style curling up into an impenetrable safety ball type of thing. 

How about because it's hard, and you know how I just adore a challenge. "No you don't! You hate challenges! Hello? You majored in business - and you only recently managed to lose the word 'clerk' from your job title after THIRTEEN YEARS." Huh... well... shut up!

Because I now have twelve first drafts of novels, and some of them might have futures, and that means edits and beta readers and rewrites and editors (are there still editors?) and finding (or creating) a path to publishing, and doesn't all that just sound exhausting? I'd literally rather write 30 blog posts in a month. And yes - I'd do another novel instead, but I have a self-imposed "No more novels until one of those 12 sees the light of day" rule. "That's a silly rule." Shoosh! Also I'm out of ideas.

Because those NaNoWriMo projects have made me entirely too wordy, and I need to relearn how to write compact prose. "No argument here..."

Finally, because it's such a delight to watch myself transform in 30 short days from this:

Look at that happy idiot. Photo by [Maris]

...to this:

Ay Caramba! Photo by Joe

Fun, non? Yeah, I know. I'll go ahead and call "BAD IDEA" right now. But who knows - maybe I'll drop something here that doesn't stink, this month. One note: I promise to only do a hobo story every third day or so. To you two readers who love the hobo stories, I'm sorry. To the other couple of readers, YOU'RE WELCOME!! And if you're still here, my dear [New Reader], I'll try not to be too wordy. I know you're really busy.

Okay. Ready? Are we really doing this? Yes, yes we are. 

Here. We. Go...