NaNoWriMo Eve!

Alright, you guys, it's NaNoWriMo Eve. If I lived in Australia, I'd be furiously writing right now. But to be honest, when we reach 12am Eastern Time, I'll probably be asleep because November 1st also marks the official end of my vacation.

My novel this year will deal with a time-delayed murder and a possible ghost. It'll also be my first story set in Philadelphia.

While I should have been working on my outline for this coming month, I've been trying to get Awake edited (my Wrimo project from last year - only 2/3rds through it). I'd like to say it's going well, but I guess I'm having my doubts. Regardless, writing helps me escape other stuff, so I've already accomplished something very big for myself.

Keep an eye on the wordcount widget to your right and chart my progress. Feel free to cheer/laugh as needed.

It's NaNoWriMo Season Again...

Since I don't live near family (or extended family or friends), holidays don't mean as much to me now as they did when I was a kid. It's a bummer, because I loved holidays (or the food, get-togethers and presents that came with them).

Trying to pretend that a couple with no children can enjoy, say, Christmas without having anyone to share things with, is kind of a lot of bull (at least in my own experience). The cat would destroy any decorations I put up, and those decorations (if they're not destroyed) would be a pain to clean up in February.

Now, I'm not one of those no-fun people who begrudges YOU of having a nice time with your family, but I realize I need to focus my energy on something different instead of thinking this year might be the same as when I was ten, knowing full well it won't be.

My new holiday: NaNoWriMo.

In one month, it'll be here. The website has already wiped last year clean and gone live with it's 2010 version. The forums are ready for my obscure questions that usually start out, "I promise, I'm just doing research for a novel..."

My only problem is that I'm just not very excited this year. Maybe once I get started or get my outline ironed out, it'll be different. For now, I've been working as much as I can on Awake, trying to get it edited and ready to show to someone - but for whatever reason, it is taking me forever to get through it! I also need to finish editing The Silent Treatment so I can get that thing sent out. I guess the real problem is that I've got so much to work on right now, adding another novel to the mix might not be what I need.

On the other hand, distancing myself from my current projects might bring me back more refreshed when the month is over. I guess I'll see how I feel on Halloween night when I'm sitting in my apartment with a bucket of candy, knowing no kids are coming to my door. I'll probably want a project then.