Blogger Heaven

Hello to my few but faithful readers! This is just going to be brief: I read a short article about the new "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" ride at Universal Studios because it was a headline on the Yahoo! homepage, which I still use as my homepage for various reasons.

The headline caught my attention (as good headlines are designed to do) because it indicated that the ride was unsuitable for overweight riders, and implied a "fight" was at hand. Instead, the article mentioned the story of a young guy named Banks Lee, apparently a devoted Harry Potter fan whose obesity prevented him from experiencing the new ride. Instead of pouting and crying "foul," Banks has made it his goal to loose enough weight to ride the ride. Banks has decided to blog about his journey here on blogspot at his blog entitled "Banks Lee & The Three Clicks" (the restraint system on the ride has to click three times for a person to be allowed on.) 

Why do I bring this up?  I am not suggesting you go read about the guy's weight loss, or that his is an especially interesting or well-written blog.  Here's why:  out of curiosity, I took a brief look at his blog at the office and then got back to work, unintentionaly leaving the page open on my computer.  Less than two hours later, I returned to the computer and he had gone from about a hundred "followers" to having 169!  Within the next several hours, the number doubled!!  Now, as I check back to Banks' blog to link the page here, he has 525 followers, and he's going to be a guest on Fox TV.  Amazing.  I was thrilled when I got each and every one of my 14 followers.  Can you imagine what it would be like to have your numbers increase exponentially like that?  Wow.  A special piece of heaven for the blogger who wants to be read.

I've always said I never wanted to be famous, and to a certain extent I guess that's still true, but writing in a public space like this is putting yourself out there to the world, for whatever underlying purpose.  I like to write, I like to put my ideas "out there"....I like the idea that some people care enough to read them, and I especially like when you guys take the time to comment.  I guess that's enjoying fame to some degree, isn't it?  Have to admit, I'd be in heaven if I had 525 followers!!

Confession

I need to confess. I'm not writing a 50,000 word novel this month as previously announced with the other NaNoWriMo fanatics. I tried. I was away on November 1, but started the next day with a creak (not a bang). I wrote about 300 words--barely got started. The idea of creating characters out of whole cloth was almost overwhelming--not because I had no ideas, but because I had so many widely varied thoughts on whom I might create.

During the last week of October (NaNoWriMo started November 1), I did some reading on character development, plot, story development, etc. It all seemed very workable; you get your plot idea, shape your characters, develop the theme...but I just didn't know how I could possibly do it without extensive outlining to know where it was all going. (I know, NaNoWriMo's motto is "no plot, no problem"--I just can't go with that.) But, in the end, the fear of creating some characters, starting a hastily conceived plot, and then potentially having all of the wrong people in my story, none of them capable of doing or being the people I needed to fulfill the plot (after maybe 20,000 words, say) is what really stopped me. Without enough time to clearly outline a good plot idea, how could one develop the right characters to fulfill it?

I actually stopped novel-writing on November third (it took this long to return here to admit it). I just could not take the time on something which was not well-prepared, which for that reason would likely end up a waste of time. I think I'm just a planner, and need some assurances that a story I would start, with characters I would create, could make it through to the end with some degree of believablilty.

Upon reflection, I think I'm more suited to a fact-based book anyway; a dream of mine would be to write a travelogue, or perhaps a memoir of sorts, or a guidebook. It's what I read, so it's what I like and know.

Also, I just am not free to spend that much time on something that I view as I described above. My Italian studies (L'italia intermezzo, Tuesday evenings) were already suffering from my normal activities, and hubby and I have started taking Yoga (him for the first time, me, a returning student), my work is all backed up since my illness, and I'm just recently feeling well enough to try to work back to my old state of physical fitness, and I'm also making things for Christmas gifts these days. So, I have a lot of other priorities right now.

Funny, I gave my whole reasoning above when I could just have explained by saying I decided not to do it because I didn't want to do it. Anyone else ever feel like that? You have to fully justify a decision (or changing your mind) to that unseen "someone," as though you'll be judged inadequate unless your reasons are "good enough"? But that's another post, I'm sure.

So, don't be looking for a novel out of me anytime soon, but you bet I'll write one after I have fully thought-out the plot and characters!

Intimidating or Inspirational?

It starts on Sunday. The National Novel Writing Month. I signed up, hoping it would push me into really "doing it," but now I'm nervous. I have read some articles on character development and creation; a couple on the process of writing and also several success stories from NaNoWrMo "winners."

Do I have a creative idea for a novel? I've often thought about writing books, but they usually tend to be more non-fiction. Maybe this is the wrong place to be. But maybe, just maybe, I can do it. I have been trying to think of plots, characters, and conceive of how a full length novel could play out. There are ideas...I think that's the point of the whole project. Those of us with some ideas and some desire to write a book are put to the deadline test. It's like when you know the legal arguments you need to make in your appeal brief and you know the pertinent facts, you sometimes need the looming deadline to start scratching paper with pen (figuratively speaking) to get going on it.

Then, completely out of the blue, a blogger I follow (the same one who proposed and hosted the "Solace of Leaving Early" book club) wrote a potential opening chapter for a mystery novel on her blog...and it was really good. She has imagination and writing talent. Intimidating or inspirational? Let's try for the latter. (Her blog is the creamery, here).

So, preparation continues, along with all of the rest of life. Wish me luck!

Is this a good idea?

I don't know if I'm nuts, but I'm going to join the craziness that is the National Novel Writing Month! (Thank you, Monda, at No Telling, for introducing me to this insanity!)

This is a project of the non-profit Office of Letters and Light, where unsuspecting wanna-be writers sign up to join in the madness of writing a 50,000 word novel in one month. You almost have to read about it to believe it--and please do: at the NaNoWriMo website.

I'm not sure if it's an online competition or a source of encouragement, but all involved are expected to put out about 1667 words per day in the pursuit of the goal. But more importantly, to not "self-edit," to toss away all expectations of "quality" writing in pursuit of pure output. For many, (probably like me), this could be the chance of a lifetime (or at least this year)--it could be the "push" we need to simply get past the myraid of distractions, excuses, and insecurities we need to overcome to actually get something written.

I think the plan is to schedule an hour or so each day of November to sit down and pump out the words. Since I signed up, I've been trying to think of a plot...or even an idea to start me out. Steven King's book "On Writing" described his process as basically coming up with an idea and sitting down and writing about it. Maybe that will work for me!!

Anyone else have the desire to just give this a try? (How about it, Mom?) The concept of having a 50,000 word novel scrached out by December first is quite enticing, isn't it?