National Novel Writing Month Day #1
Well, I got down 1718 words (including the title, epigraphs and Part I/Chapter 1 but I think that's allowed) on this first day of National Novel Writing Month. It took hours. Well, it took hours and it was painful to start but I dove in and, truth to tell, I got lost in the fooling with words. When I got stuck, I told myself to write anything I wanted even if it didn't make sense and that's what I did. I have to say I really enjoyed not having to "perfect" my prose as I went along. I had to nudge myself past the few page or two and to resist the temptation to cut and paste from earlier work I'd done that might or might not be usable here.
I suppose it was easier to get the whole ball of sticky wax rolling down the road because of all the work I'd done on this novel/idea back in 2002 and 2003. I must admit I was astonished to find how much work I had in the file drawers—it was almost hard to believe I'd been person who dreamed up all that.
What else?
I felt cheered to, yet again, realize I have tons of source material which, if sifted and winnowed, might be able to be used. The morning journal pages, the freewriting, the exercises from the many classes I've taken the past nine years. But really the best gift of the process so far was letting go of any idea that I have to make this perfect and right while I'm writing it all down. If that is the only thing I get out of NaNoWriMo -- hereafter known as NaNo -- then that will be a huge gift I've given to myself.
