Dragons

Holy Dragon-bait, People!

NaNoWriMo is less than four days away.

I know I know just breathe just breathe calm down stop pacing QUIT HYPERVENTILATING!

Oh, that’s me. Sorry.

So, if you are plugged into the whole NaNoWriMo media machine (they are impressive, aren’t they?), then you must know on Tuesday of next week, start writing.

Writing a novel in a month can seem…daunting, to say the least. And it is. Most of us do not have time to pound out 1,667 words in a day, day after day, for 30 days. I mean, there’s Thanksgiving in there. And weekends. Oh, and weekdays, too!

But that’s the thing, isn’t it?

If you never get started, never push yourself to face that dragon, well, you never will.

My NaNoWriMo goal this year is to finish my current work in progress: The Map Maker’s Dragon.

I write about dragons a lot. I have a short story about a princess and a dragon. (Her father decides to sell her to a local dragon, but she joins up with him instead and kills her father to gain the crown.) I started a novel about a woman who carves out a dragon’s heart to save her child. I have a smattering of flash pieces about with various types of dragons – all of them fierce. Oh, and The Map Maker’s Dragon is about a winged cartographer who lost her wings and must now rely on a dragon who has anything but her best interest in mind.

So, I’m on familiar ground and I have about 50,000 words of my Map Maker’s story already written. I’m pretty sure I have at least that many more words to go until I reach the end.

I’ve declared myself a NaNo Rebel, which means I will *not* be starting a new novel like most of you. But I still have the same goal – 1,667 words a day.

We Can Do It.

But not without a plan.

Here’s my plan:

1. Write everyday. Seems so simply, doesn’t it? Ha! We all know how untrue that is.
2. When I can’t write everyday, make up for it the next day I can. This is important. Often times, I go for long stretches without writing. I figure, that’s okay because I know eventually I’ll get back to it. But then I only write a paltry few words, pad out a scene, or fiddle with an outline. But that’s just treading water. I need to push through and get those words down, make up for lost time, because though it may seem like there’ll always be a tomorrow to do so – our weeks on this planet are finite. Don’t waste them.
3. Utilize MyWriteClub (here’s where I’ll be sprinting), Twitter, and this here blog to hold myself accountable. Hound me, people. If you don’t see progress anywhere we might hook up, shoot me a message or email. If we’re hooked up on NaNoWriMo, I’ll pester you, too.

Okay, I think that’s it. Simple plans are more effective, right? Right. Let’s believe that.

Catch ya on the other side.

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