NaNoWriMo

As I breeze through this NaNoWriMo season, I'm realizing I'm a perfectionist. I'm in love with my story plot for NaNoWriMo, and I don't want to botch it up. I actually think I am going to try to get it published in the end, after I clean it.

I just love it that much. That might sound narcissistic, or something, but I think authors should be excited about their work. I think it should mean a lot to them. Take Louisa May Alcott, or "Jo", in "The Little Women". She made several attempts to write books, but it wasn't until the story about her family that she became passionate in her writing. It showed.

I have made several attempts at writing novels before, and I am not ashamed to admit they did not measure up. This is the only time that I feel engrossed in my story. That I'm excited about the story. The introduction doesn't do it justice really, and I already know there is going to be somewhat of a re-write of it. But that is a part of the process.

So, I suppose my NaNoWriMo tip is to truly care about what you are writing about. I think NaNoWriMo is good to some extent, because it gives people a jumping off point, but last year I just babbled on and on with no direction. A good story can motivate an author to write it though, so I would recommend having a good story to work with in the beginning.

My idea is inspired from an interview I did with a man four years ago. (I am a journalist. I aspire to be Mark Twain...sort of.) Anyway, I am drawing on this man's experiences. I am planning trips to experience some of these things myself. I don't want to tell you the plot right now. But maybe one day you will be able to read it. ::Crosses fingers.::

Another tip is to read good stories by good authors. I like to read fiction as well as true stories. I recommend: Sinatra story

I also recommend Twain, Dickens, Lewis or Proust. Challenge yourself to write at that level, and it will happen.