it's on

See that look? It's half terror, half excitement.
That can only mean one thing: NaNoWriMo.
Let's hope I'm still smiling in 30 days.

 

At 12:01 a.m., the madness began. That's right. National Novel Writing Month is official in progress.
This year, I prepped for this morning like a runner would a marathon. Here's how:
•  I plotted out my book chapter by chapter before Nov. 1. Last year, I decided to sign up on a whim at 8 p.m. the first of the month. I didn't even start writing the book until Nov. 3, because I needed to plot.
•  I got my first ever flu shot last week. Getting sick last year slowed my process. Even though I managed to reach 50,000 words, I never want to feel that crappy again while I do it.
•  I signed up for twice weekly Zumba classes. It's the only exercise I can make myself do these days, and I find myself more energized and ready to write after finishing these classes.
•  I'm drinking more water. I may still get a lot of caffeine throughout the day, but I'm balancing it out more. I'm also officially off booze until I hit 50,000 words. I'm not taking any chances.
•  I kind of cleaned my house. It isn't perfect, but I have a place to write, and partially organized. It'll get me through the next 30 days, though.
•  I have specific goals broken down throughout the month. Ideally, these will help me vary how much writing I do daily so I don't burn out. It will also help me in my goal to finish early. If I achieve these goals, I'll reward myself with weekly prizes. I'm thinking a sushi dinner for week one, seeing Breaking Dawn Part 1 for week two, a mani-pedi for week three and a champagne karaoke party with one of my local NaNo buddies after the whole thing is done. I want all of these prizes, so I better get cracking.
•  I'm connected locally with fellow NaNo people. We had our kick-off party Sunday night, and can you say motivated?

Last year, NaNoWriMo was an emotional experience for me, because I had a lot to prove. I had to prove to myself and others how serious I am about my goals of becoming a novelist. This year, I want to be part of something bigger than myself while meeting my goals.

To help me out, I will feature guest posts from friends throughout the month in addition to providing weekly progress reports. Thanks in advance to all of you who have agreed to help. I can't even describe how much your help means to me. I will also continue to feature Reading in the Kitchen every Friday and book reviews as they are done.

With that, best of luck to all of you fellow NaNoWriMo writers. And for the rest of you, let's keep in touch.