Wolf at the Door

Kick Butt Writing Month!

The wolf is at the door and I'm kicking the lazy butts of my muses - yes, more than one - and we're going to write a novel! It's NaNoWriMo month and several of us have banded together to do this thing. I'm excited. And scared. But committed. Travel is over. Nothing much planned. Surely I can do this!

If you don't know what National Novel Writing Month is, look it up online. Join the mayhem. It's a big deal to some writers; overlooked by others who claim they don't need it. Fine.

NaNoWriMo involves writing every day, setting goals and not stopping until those goals are met. It's a way of getting into the flow of writing, the zone, the I-don't-care-what's-happening, I'm writing this damn book! It's pushing through the love-hate of writing. It's killing off my editor and just letting the words and ideas flow. It's a journey down a wild and untested river. It's reaching the other side with a draft of my novel in hand, maybe a shitty draft, but words are on the page.

To the naysayers and doubters, just tell them, "Excuse me but I'm writing my novel now." You know you want to. Everyone wants to write a book. Everyone! In my 30+ years of writing I've never been anywhere that someone didn't say, "You write books? I (my wife, niece, weird brother, 3rd cousin on the dark side of the family) have always wanted to write a book." So, here's your chance. Join me in NaNoWriMo. Kick some butt - your own bad-ass or your lazy muse and let's DO this thing!

Updates to follow - if I have time. Meanwhile I'm locking the door on the wolf and the world and writing my novel. Are you committed?

Mary Tate, typing fast and kicking butt

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