The Four Fs of November
By Kimberly Jayne
November is my favorite color. And it’s also the combination of family,
fun, football, and the Frustration 50. Let me explain.
Family, of course, because of Thanksgiving gatherings; there’s
nothing I love more than being with my family members and feasting and fullness—usually
too-fullness. Fun because it’s my favorite season, and while the painted canopies
flicker in the sunlight and blanket the ground with fall magnificence, I can
rejoice in jeans, boots, and sweaters—what I call finery. November is also for
football. Woot! And FF for Fantasy Football, fall’s double whammy.
you know what that is, I feel your shuddering from here. If not, let me fill
you in. NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, and it dares us to write a
novel of 50,000 words November 1–30. That’s 1,667 words a day for 30 days, yo.
Close to half a million people are participating in
NaNoWriMo this year, and across America people are gathering in coffee shops
and online to discuss words and stories—and their frustrations at trying to
meet this demanding word count in so little time. And I’m one of them.
It’s haaaaaard! After the first week, I’m reluctant to
announce how behind I am in words and how overflowing I am in caffeine. I knew
I would be (and as the saying goes, if you think you will, you’re right!). Hey,
I have the complications of a day job that eats up 10 hours of my day,
including travel, and the foils of after-hours fatigue because of said day job,
so achieving the daily 1,667 word count precisely defines “challenge”
in the dictionary. Feeling my Frustration 50 reference now?
As of today, I should have written 11,669 words. I’m not
even close. I’m at about 4,000. But they are 4,000 words I didn’t have before, so
I’m not a complete failure. If I keep at it, I surely will finish in record
time the last two episodes of my dark fantasy Demonesse: Avarus. And I’m determined to finish because it’s my
favorite time of year, I’m happiest and most motivated in November, and I’m up
for a dare.
November is also for foolish, but that’s a whole other post.
What about you? Are you braving the challenge of NaNoWriMo?
__________________________________________
Kimberly Jayne writes humor, romantic comedy, suspense, erotica,
and dark fantasy. Her latest foray into a dark fantasy released in episodes is
as much an adventure as the writing itself. You can check her out on Amazon. Find
out more about her at ReadKimberly.
Books by Kimberly Jayne:
Take My Husband, Please: An Unconventional Romantic Comedy
Demonesse:
Avarus, Episode 1
Demonesse:
Avarus, Episode 2
Demonesse: Avarus, Episode 3
All the Innuendo, Half the Fact: Reflections of a
Fragrant Liar
Whoa, that is a lot of writing! I cannot imagine…November is decoration month!
Yes, it is! But I won't be around much for the holidays, so I can enjoy other people's decorations and get some words pounded out on my keyboard! 🙂
Well done you for trying! That is a big ask to write so much each day. I prefer to think of November as building the excitement to the holidays! Good luck with the writing.
Thanks, I'm pretty happy with my progress so far, even though I'm behind. That is likely to only get worse as the days get away from me, but you know I'm writing and accumulating words and on the way to finishing my book, so it's all good!
I really don't like challenges because I think they are the same as resolutions, reasons to fail. But I do think we can achieve our goals when we are ready. And no sooner….
It's a real gamble, that's for sure. Some days you're ready to throw down the gauntlet, and others not so much. Let's see what song I'm seeing on December 1.
That's an aggressive commitment! You go girl!! Sometimes going for a walk can re-eneragize you and get that blood flowing to the brain! Also, a cocktail can help relax you and the creative juices flow. You may stay up late writing – but once in awhile that's ok. Good luck!
It is, right? And I should definitely be making myself get up and go for a walk to re-energize. I know it would help because I get so dang tired. Thanks for the tips.
Somehow doing NaMo whatever seems like setting myself up for failure. I love writing but I like doing it in my own way and at my own pace – which sometimes means dealing with writer's block! But like you, I love November and all that comes with it!
I agree it kind of seems that way. But the way I look at it is whatever words I write are words I didn't have before, and so I'm still moving closer to achieving my goal of a finished novel. As a lifelong rebel, I will always thumb my nose at the rules and move at the pace I want, but this gives me a beacon to shoot for. LOVE NOVEMBER!
Good luck with NaNo it feels so good to finish! I love pumpkin everything but I am not looking forward to winter. I constantly have to remind myself to stay in today and enjoy fall.
Thanks! I'm looking forward to seeing how far I can get, and that will be the finish I've been working toward, whether it's 50,000 or 20,000. I'm loving the weather right now!
I can't believe that you've actually produced 4,000 words with all your other commitments – I think you're doing fabulously and whether you meet your ultimate target or not, you are a success in my eyes!
Thank you! Tonight I wrote 995. I actually hit 1,000 and then deleted five before I got sidetracked by election news and never went back. Oh, the anxiety I feel surrounding this election. Kind of drains you of creativity. But I'll get back on target this week. (Maybe not tomorrow.)