Monday Moanings - Monday, November 2, 2015

NaNoWriMo Writes YET Again!


Yes folks, it's that time of year when writers of all stripes and flavours set pens to paper and/or fingers to keyboards to crank out some 50,000 words by month's end. This annual writer's marathon which began yesterday, is billed as a

"fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought fleetingly about writing a novel."

Check out the NaNoWriMo website for all the details.




This is my third entry into the writing room called November. For me it remains a place of good intentions, really good intentions, to write every day, to finish by month's end a sizable section of the memoir I've been working on for... well let's just say for a while.

I'm not a registered participant because honestly I'm not that driven. My 'Lite' version is a little more relaxed because I've learned, finally, that it's okay to give myself permission to have fun, to accept the better offer when it comes along without obligingly picking up a side order of guilt, and it's okay to attend to my own well being.

And how's that working for me so far?
Day 1 - yesterday - my inner critic ruled out everything I wrote. But I made a great supper with luscious baked apples for dessert.

Day 2 - today - That side order I said I wouldn't pick up? Seems I picked it up anyway. I've got guilt++. But today I will write! 1500 words are due not only for NaNoWriMo but also for my critique group.

With renewed vigour, here's my strategy:
     - manage my time at the keyboard, limiting it to 30 minutes at a time so as to ward off eye strain
     - use lighting, font size and type, (serifs only please!), and line spacing so as to limit the impact of the visual aberration that plagues my eyesight.
     - use 'the force' the tools that produce my most creative and evocative writing - my favourite fountain pen flowing across smooth white paper.
     - go away on a writing retreat this coming weekend YAY! And thank you Ruth Walker and Gwynn Scheltema for offering such fabulous escapes to write.

All righty folks it's time to get out there -

WRITE Stuff, WRITE Hand, WRITE Pen, WRITE Brain, WRITE ON!

Fern Resort - Site of the 2015 Turning Leaves Writing Retreat

©2015 April Hoeller