10.11.2010

The last few weeks I have given considerable thought as to whether I would participate in NaNoWriMo this year. I've done it three times and have loved it every time and also thoroughly enjoyed the companionship of my writing buddies. It wasn't that I didn't have any ideas, for I do have plenty, but that I would not reach my reading goal of 100 books if I took off a month to write. I made a commitment to read those books all the way back in January and it seemed wrong of me to renege on that just to do something "more fun".

So I told my NaNo-buddies that I was bowing out this year and there was an immediate outcry, which made me feel wonderful and awful at the same time. I went back to my list of challenge books and reviewed them, wondering if there was any way I could do it all. I found Librivox.org, which offers free audio-books for download and worked as many as I could into my challenge. I figured if I can listen to books while I'm at work then I will still have time to write during the evenings. I've already done two books that way and it's working well for me. I have 12 books left in my challenge and I should easily be able to read or listen to those before December 31st.

So I made the official decision to become a fourth-year and joined the ranks of those fully in the grip of NaNo-fever. I've already lost two nights of sleep because my busy-busy brain is plotting and sounding out dialogue and finding ways to kill off the lesser-villain. I'm going to do a fantasy this time, something D might like to read. I can't wait for November!