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“I’m always confident when I sign up for a project that it’s going to be good. That’s why I sign up for it.” – Taraji P. Henson

It’s Monday morning and NaNoWriMo 2016 sign-ups begin today. By the time you read this, I’ll have created my novel page, and uploaded the first version of my cover – which will probably need to be re-sized. I never manage to get it right the first time because the dimensions on the NaNo site are slightly different than what you’d use if you were making an actual book cover. The dimensions for your novel page are 230×300, by the way.

Chatter is picking up on Twitter, especially under the #NaNoWriMo2016 tag as folks debate on whether or not to undertake the leap into madness that is attempting to write 50,000 words in 30 days. I’ll be doing it this year, drafting the third book for my Henry’s Mills series. Which looks like it will actually be the first full-length book to be published. (Tentative date is next June. Details to follow).

If you are planning on participating, hopefully you’ve already begun your preparations. I spent my weekend deep in my plot threads, trying to do a bit more planning than I usually do. I’ve been reading Lisa Cron’s Story Genius, so this year is going to be a bit of an experiment. I’m something of a pantser by nature, so trying a method that requires me to do more plotting before I start is going to be a stretch.

But that’s what NaNoWriMo is about, stretching your muscles. Last year I did a full first draft, some 72K. That was a record for me, and I’m not necessarily expecting to be able to repeat the performance, especially since I’m approaching this November with a different method. But it’s a mark to shoot for.

Today’s photo is a tribute to NaNos past; “New Books” is from the Borders where I spent many a Friday evening writing while my husband was with his gaming group. “Romance” and “Mystery” are from the Barnes & Noble close to my office, which closed a few years ago, and also provided me with a number of writing hours in their cafe. These hang in my hall, a daily reminder of my writing goals.

November 1 is only 29 days away. What are your goals for this year?

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Surviving 30 Days of Literary Madness is a daybook of support, encouragement and the occasional kick in the pants to help make the stress more bearable and keep your eyes focused on your goal.

For each day of this mad sprint, there is a quote and essay designed to help keep you going at the keyboard, along with other pieces about preparation and the novelizing hangover that comes in December. There are also pages for those other moments, the ones when you’ve fallen slightly behind – or you realize this may not be a year you cross the finish line. No matter how your November novel experience is going, this book will be a companion for each day.

Available at Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Bookstore

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