It’s finally here!
I’m very excited for this year’s NaNoWriMo. I’m trying something different this time around. I have a very old story (from high school :P). With a very silly name – Dance til you Die! – I’m almost embarrassed to admit to that title. Of course, back then I thought it was such a cool title. Eventually it became oddly clear that the title presented a problem – there was no dancing in my story, I believe there was going to be dancing. But as I was writing it, it never manifested itself. And the other problem with the story was there was an argument in every scene (and I mean every scene). I’m not going to give that too much thought right now, maybe there was a reason for it. Not sure. The good part is I really like some of the characters – even the one who underwent several name changes.
I still have the original copy – and thankfully I was, and still am obsessed with printing out my writing at the end of every scene – I love running my fingers over the sides of the page where I had torn the continuous pages apart. I don’t want to admit that I miss that old dot-matrix – but I do. I miss the sound it made as it printed back and forth, it was so loud, but I was so proud of my writing that I looked forward to sitting back and waiting for it to complete its task. And the oh-so-satisfying task of tearing the sides off the pages – I liked to do it before I separated the individual pages – two pages at a time.
A simpler time.
Many of the subplots of that old story are relevant to the world I’ve created, the main character – Jackie – needs to have her story completed. And that’s what I’m doing this month. I’m re-writing that goofy old story and I’m writing another, when Jackie is older, in tandem with the first. Two critical points in her life.
Another change this year – because the two stories are going to be more challenging – I’m going to . . . wait for it . . . DO AN OUTLINE x2 – gasp – Nuts, right? I thought so. I’m a pure pantser and I’m going to keep this as organized as I can.
Last way this year will be different – I’m using Scrivener this time. I’ve had the program for a while, but I haven’t gotten into it yet. I will this time.
Here we go!