NaNoWriMo and Insanity

"Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say." - Sharon O'Brien

My dog woke me up last night around 1 a.m. -- she's afraid of certain noises, and my husband was making one (he makes a wide variety... some day I'm going to tape him). So she paced and stuck her nose in my face until I couldn't ignore her anymore. I took her out, then crashed on the couch until, about 30 minutes later she decided that she had to go back to bed. I let her back in to the bedroom, heard the chainsaw that is my husband and opted for the couch again :-)

Turns out that this was a good thing! I haven't spent much time working through my NaNo idea. I've been more focused on editing existing projects: a novel and a short story.

Last night while I lay on the couch, half in and out of sleep, I considered my NaNo idea. And although I didn't have a notepad to jot things down, the things I thought of I remembered. Woo!

My hero has a name and so does the comic strip he writes, two things that have weighed heavily upon my mind.

I feel ill prepared for NaNo this year and, although it seems that I have time to prepare better, it's flying by and I have much to accomplish in the next three weeks prior to going insane.

Still, I love NaNo. Love the rush and the excitment. Most of all, I love the freedom. In the desperate rush to "win" and write 50,000 words in such a short time, often you (I?) contemplate ideas that you never would have before. You don't toss them aside immediately for being too crazy or strange or difficult. Mostly, you entertain every plot idea or twist that comes to mind with the sure knowledgle that it can always be edited out later if it doesn't work.

It's exciting to work that way.

So even though I don't feel quite ready, I am ready. Ready to go a little insane.

Anyone joining me?