NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo. No, that is not a greeting used by Mork, nor is it some new medical condition. It stands for NAtional NOvel WRiting MOnth. Every year during the month of November people all over the world sit down and attempt to write a novel of 50,000 words or more in 30 days. Not a novella, not a short story, a full-length novel. This is the 10th year for this exercise in unabashed writing, and thousands "win" the event every year by reaching that goal.

You may recall from my recent post 40220 that I completed the novella I had been working on for the last 4 years. I was ready for another project, and as I was mulling what to do next I was reminded about NaNoWriMo. The timing is perfect, the stars are aligned, and my plate is cleared.

I will be participating in NaNoWriMo this year with a new idea that is totally unrelated to anything I've worked on before. I will be writing a novel, with a minimum length of 50,000 words, in the next 30 days.

What this means is that I will probably be a little quieter on-line than normal. You'll see me less on Twitter, Facebook, and e-mail as I feverishly pound out at least 1,667 words a day to reach the goal.

There are ways you can keep up with my efforts. I have added a widget on the website for this blog that will show my daily recorded word count. You can visit my NaNoWriMo profile page, where you can not only see my word count but also a synopsis of my novel's plot and eventually an excerpt from it as well. If you are one of my Facebook friends you will auto-magically see my word counts as I put them on the NaNoWriMo site, and I will also post my counts daily on Twitter. At major milestones I will also post updates on this blog.

NaNoWriMo officially starts at midnight tonight, and I will be up to get a jump start on my novel. Wish me luck, pray for me, and follow my progress. The fact that I've told all of you about this will be one of my major motivations to see this through to completion.

For me midnight will not be the witching hour, it will be the writing hour, and I can't wait until I can sit down and start getting this novel out of my head. For when I can say "Let us begin" and start typing.

40220

Yesterday I finished a big project, one I have been working on over the last 4-5 years. It is a novella-length, time travel adventure story, and is the longest written work I have completed to date. I have finished several short stories over the years, but never something of this size.

I've been writing sporadically since middle school, and while I have had gaps of time where I am not doing it, it is something that I enjoy and always get back to. This novella was born out of an idea for a single scene, and grew to encompass 40220 words. I hope to do something with it in the future, perhaps podcast it or try to shop it around. First the wife needs to read it and tell me if it is any good. If it is then you'll be hearing more about it. If not, then it's back to work.

But for today it is enough to be done. To enjoy the glow of a labor completed, and blow my own horn about it.

Toot.

Taking it ALL off...

If you are one of my friends or family, then you are aware that last week I decided to completely shave my head. My reason for doing this was that I was completely bored with the 1/4-inch-high hairstyle that I had been using for the last several years.

While I am not sure just how long I will continue to shave it due to weather conditions and the extra time it takes each morning, I must say that seeing the reactions of those I know has been a blast.

My sister-in-law, who has been cutting my hair for the last 22 years, sent me a mournful "OMG! Keith! What have you done with your hair!?" via Facebook. One woman I know exclaimed "Keith, you got a new head!" Another gave me a look as if I had cut off my arm and were dancing around the bloody appendage. A co-worker simply said "Nice head" implying that it had been completely hidden up till now. Many others were surprised, and I have gotten several compliments as well.

I didn't do this to get compliments or collect the shocked and amazed looks of those around me, but it has been fun seeing the different reactions. However, I recently realized I've gained something else from this experience. I've had several men tell me that shaving their head is something they will never do for one reason or another. Indeed, until not long ago I would have never thought I'd have done it, either. But I've crossed that line, one that many others will not cross, and I've found it a bit freeing.

The thought occurred to me that this might be what it is like for those who dye their hair bright colors or get tattoos. I've never understood the motivations for doing either, especially the latter. Perhaps it is for that feeling of stepping across a boundary that many won't dare, and finding that the water is fine. Of being able to look back across and see the changes that were wrought.

At this point in my life I still won't be getting a tattoo or dying my hair purple, so there are still some lines that I won't cross. I do think, however, that I've gained a greater appreciation for why people feel driven to cross them.