Ahh, here it is, November. National Novel Writing Month. Every year the excitement builds as people rush, rush, rush to pump out 50,000 words of a new book. Every year I get sucked into the hype, and every year I really want to do Nano, but I fail. Every time.
The last time I formally declared a project for Nanowrimo was Son of the Siren...back in 2020. Obviously, as we know, it took me years to draft it, so I clearly failed at that, and didn't try Nano again afterwards.
This year I seriously contemplated making The Name and the Key a 2022 Nanowrimo project, because I had already completed the manuscript once (albeit rewriting it from scratch), and while I started that book like I was on fire, the flames have since been extinguished. I have not been able to get on my computer and work on it, even with the book in my hand to look at as I write.
It's a mental health thing. It's a concentration thing. It's a procrastination thing. It's a perfectionism thing. It's a fear thing.
These are not the ingredients for a successful Nanowrimo.
So to save myself some grief, I'm not going to participate this year. But I wish all of you who are great success in your writing and that you knock out your 50,000-word draft. That's about 1666 words a day. When you break it down, it sounds manageable, doesn't it? It wasn't for me, but it could be just the thing for you. I wish you well and good luck!