NaNoWriMo. And Mo.

Late last night I finished the first re-write of my book. This is the book that I wrote during last year’s NaNoWriMo, and tomorrow I start on my second book, a prequel to the first, during this year’s NaNoWriMo.

For years I’d tried to write something more substantial than my blog and being largely undisciplined it usually went like this- I’d write a few pages and then a week or a month later I’d edit the same few pages thinking I was really, really, grooming my shit and then I’d let it sit for another coupla months or years.

It was pathetic.

I’d heard of NaNoWriMo but had never registered to try and write a novel in 30 days. (Sorry, for them’s that don’t know, NaNoWriMo means National Novel Writing Month)

So last year I re-remembered NaNO and figured what the hell. I had to do something to try and flesh out my three page really, really groomed 10-year old novel.

And it worked.

Turns out NaNO was just the kick in the balls I needed. For thirty days last November I wrote like a madman, not worrying about the editor in my head and averaging 1700 words a day. (To validate you need to upload a completed 50,000+ word novel by November 30)

It was just what I needed. Instead of thinking shit to death, instead of repeatedly word-smithing my greasily miserable three pages of pent up nothingness, I just rocked and rolled. I wrote and wrote, and by the end of the month I had a workable platform. I had story.

‘Course it took me an entire YEAR to do the re-write ’cause I still have this discipline problem, but, hey, I yam what I yam.

So yeah. Tomorrow I send my first book to the folks at CreateSpace for edit and cover design and layout and maybe someday, publication.

And then tomorrow night I start my second writing marathon.

I’ve been doing some deep knee-bends.