Process - In For Real

It's official now. I registered on NaNoWriMo and also on NaNoBlogMo. Now I can think about and work on other things. Though I know better - chances are pretty good that what I'll really want to do is start working on more of the backstory for whichever novel I'll be writing.

I say that like I still am trying to decide but when asked for the working title, in my NaNoWriMo profile (you can find me as geekcoach), I didn't really want to to leave it blank, so I put down In The Weeds. I don't know that I'd leave that the working title, but it's clearly the restaurant girl more than the tupperware witch.

So there... at least now I'll be able to sleep, knowing I didn't wait to the very last minute to decide.

Process - Knowing When to Give Up

Some things are simply clearly not meant to be.

Like, why bother battling myself about whether I want to do this novel-writing thing? The outcome seems inevitable at this point so why not give in.

And then there's this matter of beating my head against the wall on the post that must not wish to be. Two different times I've lost it. And don't laugh - the second time it inexplicably disappeared as I was attempting to take my own advice about saving the darned thing.

So - I'm giving up. I'm in and this is all I'm writing about it for now. And no - I'm still not registered yet. I've still got a couple days yet, so there!

Process - Everyone Else Is Doing It Part Two

Wow, not that that I ever thought in the world that blogging a novel in progress would be, well, a novel idea but hey, it's sort of scary just how many other bloggers there are out there writing about NaNoWriMo. I did a Google search last night and came up with something like 144,000 hits. Or more; I'm not sure - I sometimes have difficulties with decimal places.

Not only that, but it seems that in my haste to get the new site up and running (and my temporary dereliction of duty to the Techsurvivor blog), I've managed to overlook the huge "Hey join NaNoWriMo & blog your novel here at Blogger!" messages. Sheesh. Guess I'd better go check out these hacks they're talking about in case I'd find any of them useful.

Oh, and I still have to register. Assuming I'm doing this, of course.

Process - Choices!

In theory, I have my basic story idea worked out. Well, maybe not the whole thing, but there was this interesting bit of conversation I had overheard once that just screams to be developed into a story... "she went to Seattle, became a witch, and then got into tupperware."

I have zero clue what happens next or even the point of view I'd even take on it; sure is provocative, though, isn't it? Don't you just want to discover what happens next and how it all unfolds? I know I do.

The trouble is, just when I was sure that this is the direction I should go, I got to thinking about another story that's been cooking on my back burners for even longer about a young woman who does restaurant work and the work is so seasonal that she essentially ends up becoming a migrant worker and never qualifying for any of the benefits they claim to offer, including healthcare. Conflict arises when her lack of access to affordable health care puts her into crisis.

This character and her plight first came to mind back in the late 80's. When it looked like Hillary was going to fix healthcare, I thought for a time that I'd missed my opportunity. Then, when all that fell apart, I figured maybe I could bring the subject back to the forefront again with this story and just never got around to it.

Now that the current economic situation has made the problem of healthcare so huge for so many people (there's a huge gap created when healthcare is tied to jobs and so many people are out of work; it's made even larger when average salaries go down while premiums are going up, forcing many people to choose not to carry coverage they don't have to) and the situation has boiled up to crisis-mode, perhaps the timing is particularly good now.

So - do I go with the fun story, or the one that's topical and has the potential to have an influence, even though it's much darker? The relevance of timing may be appropriate to ponder in that the shelf life for the first story may be longer than that of the second.

My sister apparently is faced with a similar dilemma. Yesterday, she knew exactly which story line she wanted to pursue. Today, she's decided she's having some difficulty thinking out the bones of that story and is considering abandoning it for another that's been on her mind. I find it interesting how our lives parallel at times; as much as misery may love company, I'm not sure it helps me solve this particular issue.

Thinking too hard on this, though, probably makes my brain hurt more than I really want it to right now. The only thing of which I'm certain at the moment is that I do not want to try to write two novels in a month! Choosing between these two (or whether to do either - that question is still on the table) feels too difficult for me at the moment.

At least I still have three days; and I'm not alone.

Process - Everyone Else Is Doing It...

How to add pressure... my sister says she'll be participating in NaNoWriMo. And my friend who first sent me the info says even his wife is interested now and I didn't even know she was interested in writing.

I still have four days.

Process - In the Beginning

The agony begins. I have less than a week to decide whether to participate in NaNoWriMo - or choose instead to devote my time elsewhere. Believe me, I am sorely tempted. The fact that I've gone so far as to start this blog is probably indicative of where my true feelings lay.

One of the things that I've noticed about myself over the years is that long before I am willing to admit that a certain direction is a draw for me, I will start taking action down that road. Sounds like some unwillingness to commit, doesn't it? Fear of failure, not wanting to say no to the other things that I'd have to in order to move forward are just a couple of the more obvious reasons that come to mind. That's why it's agonizing.

In this sense, I find procrastination with a deadline helpful. I feel completely at ease taking thes remaining days to plumb my thoughts on the matter and allow myself to work through this process. Comments are welcome even though I know better than to expect any at this point...