Rain
Rain.
That’s what today is all about. It’s been steadily raining all day–not torrential downpours (though it’s gotten heavy from time to time), but pretty much non-stop showers. Something like 3.5″ of rain (that’s 8.75 cm) since yesterday.
We need it badly, but . . . blah. Grey. Wet. Dreary. I’ve been home all day. Mom didn’t want to go out for coffee this morning, so I’ve spent most of the day curled up in the dining room window with Chappy. Reading mostly, but I also did some work on that Christmas knitting. Made some tea in the afternoon. Helped Mom transfer some pictures from digital camera to computer. But really . . . nothing much. It’s just been that kind of day.
Not so for Risa–whose twins are having their second birthday party today. I bet her day’s been busy! Or Jennifer, who was written about in the New York Times. Or Sandy, whose (safe and unhurt) daughter was in a car accident. There was a death in Stephanie‘s family. And of course, there’s something fishy going on over at Lu‘s.
The one bright spot? I’ve been reading about the NaNoWriMo challenge. Apparently, November is National Novel Writing Month. (I mentioned this a couple days ago.) But I hadn’t read through the rules for the actual Challenge. Listen to this:
The idea is to write a 50,000-word novel in thirty days. You can’t start writing before 12:01 am on November 1st and you must have passed 50,000 words by November 30th to succeed at the challenge. You can’t add to a novel you’ve already started. You can’t start writing earlier than November 1st. You can plan, plot, develop characters, outline–do as much preliminary work as you want–but you cannot write an official word of prose for the challenge. As they say in the FAQs, it’s about quantity not quality, enthusiasm over painstaking craft. And frankly, it sounds like fun!
I haven’t decided if I’m going to participate yet–more than starting a brnd-new book, I’d rather have the incentive to finish the already-50,000 word manuscript I’ve got sitting right here on my computer. And yet–where’s the thrill in that? If the point of the challenge is to inspire you to just sit down and let your creativity out of the box, no holds barred, no worries about whether the plot ties together–just to get a first draft down on virtual paper . . . why start with a book that’s been stalled on my computer for over a year and a half without being touched? Great idea, though! At least something made me smile on this otherwise grey day.
Well, other than Chappy, of course!
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Tannenbaum.
House Calls
i did nanowrimo last year, and i did it as a fantasy yarn shop. complete with dragons, ogres, and fairies. i didn’t get very far (15K) but i had fun. i’m thinking of doing it this year, but i’m having a tough time coming up with something. so far i’ve got a tavern, the owners, and workers, and a sketch of the main room. bleh. i need to start fleshing things out if i’m gonna do this. i write at work between calls, then come home and type it up, lol.
Hey, Deb! I’ve been thinking about doing it. We could egg each other on, if you were game. I might not blog much as a result, but I was thinking about it. You know. Just thinking. Let’s discuss it at Rhinebeck.
I am glad your day was boring and safe!
Go ahead and do Nanowrimo if you are thinking of it. I did it 3 years ago. Perhaps 2, I can’t remember now…I only hit 10,000 but that was a FUN 10,000!
I’ll be interested in your decision!
At least this rain storm is not on Rhinebeck weekend, eh?
Hey, I’m doing Nano this year, too! I just haven’t put the little picture up on my blog yet. I finished last year, and it may be logistically a little more difficult this year, but I’m going to try. It’s actually fun to write something that has only one goal: 50,000 words in 30 days. Doesn’t have to be good, doesn’t have to make sense, you can just play and have fun, knowing you can hit the delete button on December 1st. Go for it!