This time last year, I gave up meat. (Although there were two instances in which I broke down and had clam chowder, one moment when I accidentally had some vegetable dip I didn’t realize was clam-based, and then, after one particularly stressful day when it seemed that all was lost, I numbly chewed through one piece of pepperoni pizza. For the record, it was disgusting and I’m not interested in doing it again, no matter what misfortunes I might encounter, unless the alternative is actual starvation.)
This November, I am giving up sloth. For years I’ve kind of made fun of the idea behind National Novel Writing Month, on the theory that all one could possibly produce in one month – the race ending once you’ve generated 50,000 words – would have to be crap, because I believe in extensive self-editing.
Well, that’s all very fine and good, but before you can edit, you really do have to get out the words, and what the hell, I can’t knock what I haven’t tried yet.
Plus, I turn 38 this month – the age at which one of my literary heroes, Thomas Wolfe, died. I really do lie awake at night, worrying that I’ll die before I get my work done – it petrifies me.
And I need something, anything, to draw my attention away from the madness that is these waning days of the 2008 Presidential Election. (Capsule version: Damn right I’m voting for Obama, and Damn right, these women speak my own mind when it comes to the bizarre internecine warfare that has erupted among feminists with regard to the candidacies of Hillary Clinton – whom I still respect enormously, and have great hopes for – and Sarah Palin – who can kiss my fat feminist ass. See also, of course, the Feminist Majority’s page on supporting Obama: feministsforobama.org)
Once Obama wins – and he will win, barring extreme fraud on the part of the Republican party – I should be at least 5,000- to 6,000 words into my manuscript. I’ll take a break to cry with relief and hug my children and my husband and my neighbors (even my Republican neighbors, if they’re willing)… and then I’ll get back to the book.
You may notice the “Firstgiving – Sponsor Me Now” button now in my sidebar. (And also in the bottom of this post, for the benefit of those accessing my posts through a feed reader.) If you click on that, you’ll be taken to a page with information on how you can donate to the literary organization that coordinates National Novel Writing Month in honor of my effort. (I’ve set a modest fundraising goal: $1 for each 1,000 words I’ve sworn to turn in by November 30th – so even if $1 is all you have to spare, that is sincerely welcomed, and will be taken as inspiration!)
Be aware, however, that donations received through my far-right sidebar under “Groceries and Rent,” first put there when my husband was laid off from his job six months ago (yes, he is still looking, and yes, thank God, we’re still eligible for Unemployment benefits, but that won’t last forever), would not go to the literary organization discussed here.
Donations to either the organization or to our family are welcome but also totally unnecessary. What would be awesome though? Fuss at me from time to time (I accept “fussing” in comments, email, text messaging, postal mail, carrier pigeon, whatever!) to make sure my ass is still on track with this NaNoWriMo thing.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Oh, and lookie! This post has 563 words so far. Now see, if I’d been pouring those words into the book instead, I’d have about a third of my raw, mostly unedited verbiage quota made for today!
But as it is I need to catch a few winks now, then attend to children once they’re awake, then squeeze in some serious writing time… somewhere.
Wish me luck!
