Two days till Nanowrimo begins. Over the next month I need to find enough time to write 50,000 words and hopefully have a novel quality something at the end of it.
The old suggestion is to write what you know – if Nanowrimo started this week I’d have to write about the high stakes world of local library politics. Novels tend to focus a little more on the worldly grandeur of global politics or the rapid fire infighting of a court room battle, sadly ignoring the petty bickering that infests even a field lacking wealth, glory, or anything that could be mistaken for either. As much as I’d love to open the world to all maneuverings of the local library battle royale, I don’t think I’d be able to turn it into a very good novel. Perhaps the wounds are still too fresh…
Technology, my career field du jour, is ripe with ideas, but I think I’d rather use this particular opportunity to branch away from science fiction. As much as I prefer genre writing, it lacks a certain cachet in the publishing world. Besides, I hardly need some special month of motivation to want to write about robot ninja pirates traveling through time to reinvent the samurai sword…
I’m left with two ideas. The first is to expand upon one of my short stories. This particular story – written earlier this year – was recently rejected for publication, but with one of the more exhilarating rejection letters I’ve received – “This would make a good first chapter for a novel.“ With a rejection that complimentary, who needs acceptance? (Me, as soon as possible, pleaaaasseeeee.)
The other idea is a little more – spontaneous. When I first signed up for Nanorimo some weeks ago I was inspired, half jokingly, to write an absurdist murder mystery about my the death of summer roommate. He only stayed for a few weeks, but the claustrophobia of a companion unwanted made for war, peace, suspense – all the necessary jokes, injokes, and mini-plot digressions to get through a month of novel writing exhaustion.
This whole shindig begins on Monday so I’ve got some time to decide. At current I’m leaning toward door number two, but if I had decided for real I’d have started writing already. Either way, I’m hoping to get something done. I’ll know in a week whether I’m on the road to success or have shamefully dropped out. Wish me luck.
It is clear that when running a business that the amount of work involved is significantly more compared to one would assume working as an employee.