NaNoWriMo coming up again

Every year I say I should do it, and every year I chicken out.  I even bought the book from the dude who founded NaNoWriMo, complete with a week-by-week guide for how to approach writing a novel in such a short time.

I have a friend who’s gone through some experiences over the last month or so that I thought would make a good novel, but I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, mainly because it would be too serious.  I get so stuck on this idea that I have to be writing a novel that touches people on a deeper level, and that’s probably what’s holding me back so much.  In any case, I definitely don’t know nearly enough about love to be writing about it extensively, especially through the perspective of another person.  Given that this would be my first full piece of fiction since around middle school, I really think the way to go is something more light-hearted.

One thing I’m going to have to practice, though, is faster, borderline stream-of-consciousness type writing.  It takes me a long time to write one of these things, even when I keep it simple and informal.  I’m always editing my thoughts as I think them, when I should be doing the editing after I get everything down in print.  But that’s partly what this blog is about.  I just have to get used to writing again.  People act like writing is something you need inspiration for, but it’s really like any other skill.  It takes habits.  That’s what NaNoWriMo is all about.  You don’t have to have a plot, you don’t have to have a plan.  You just need to fully commit yourself to writing 1,700 words a day, and the rest will follow from there.