72 Days
Before I go any farther, I want you to take a deep breath. Let any stress from writing or everyday life just melt away. Picture yourself at that vacation spot you’ve been meaning to visit but have yet to do so. Are you relaxed? Calm? Feeling in the mood to do Bunny hop? Okay. In 72 days, the literary floodgates open. That’s right. The insanity we know as NaNoWriMo opens its doors for new and old members in a little over two months. Yet it feels like NaNoWriMo 2009 just ended yesterday.
Past couple of years, I’ve had a routine. I buy a new spiral notebook. Write 50,000+ words by hand and then, transfer my work to computer everyday to verify the word count. I’ve crossed the finish line every year I’ve participated. So, it’s a routine that works for me. Been thinking about changing things up this year.
Do away with killing any trees and forgo hand cramps. Work via computer only. Taking this step will toss me completely out of my comfort zone, but I’m curious to see how productive I will be. Another change will be what I write. I usually take the rebel stance and write various short stories. I’m considering trying a novel. I’ve never really written a novel before. Always been a short story kind of girl. Again, stayed in my comfort zone. I feel like challenging myself this year.
I’m willing to venture out in to something new and have a challenge for you. If you’re a Nano veteran, change one thing about your usual routine. Doesn’t have to be something huge but significant. Something that will push your boundaries. Do you think this alteration will effect your Nano outcome?
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Write Anything 
I love NaNo. I’ve got six novels so far! Wahoo. Such freedom. Every year I approach it with my own challenge tagged on. For example, for one year it was write 80,000. Another year, it was write the 50k alongside writing a blog by my characters. Each one changes the experience. When those changes stop, when it all becomes the same, I’ll stop.
Have fun with it!
Oh I like the idea of changing things up, maybe that is what I should do this year. Not exactly sure how yet, perhaps I will step out of my comfort zone and write in a different genre. I also like the idea of writing a set of short stories rather than a straight novel. Hmmm…well at least I have 72 days to figure it out!
Challenges: the best way to progress as a writer or as anything else for that matter. Wish you luck.
I can’t believe it’s only 72 (71 now) days away – it only just feels like we’ve finished last year’s. Eek.
This will only be my 2nd year taking part so I haven’t got a routine yet. Having said that last year I did a ‘Mills & Boon’ style book. The idea of a YA novel’s just popped into my head. I may do that 🙂
I desperately want to participate this year, but with going back to school, it’s going to be hard to find time to churn out a novel. Always something keeping me too busy.
Your idea of switching things up for NaNoWriMo in interesting. I have written my NaNoNovel on the computer in the past. And for two out of three years I didn’t finish. I think that’s because everything else I write always starts out with a handwritten draft. I believe my creativity flows best that way. So maybe this year I will write for NaNo by hand.