National Novel Writing Month 2011

I've decided to participate again in NaNoWriMo--National Novel Writing Month. I did it last year and "won." Winning means writing 50,000 words. I did. The novel I wrote last year, Disappearing, however, is still unfinished. I waffled about trying again and decided to go for it. I have to average 1,667 words every day. Since I'll be traveling, and there's also a holiday weekend, I will have to write more on a number of days to make up for that. The average word -count per page is 250-300 words per page, when doubled spaced. That's about 182 pages total or 6 pages a day. But not just six pages of drivel! I want to write six pages of scintillating, gripping prose. Of course, we only have to write a first draft, so maybe I can manage that anyway. I do wish and hope to be able to complete a real first draft of a real novel that can be polished and sent out for publication--that's my goal.

What I am doing now is brainstorming ideas, characters, setting, theme, etc, as well as a time-line, chapter synopses, etc., and trying to do it in such a way that none of it can be incorporated into the first-draft novel, since the rules clearly state that I mustn't begin the actual writing until November 1 and must finish by November 30. I will be blogging about it as I go along, but probably only briefly, since I need to spend my time actually writing the novel, not blogging! I will also be posting parts of the novel as I write them.

I am probably not going to fancy up this blog; that's not the point of it. It's simply to post my thoughts and work.