I'm writing a novel...hopefully

This November I am undertaking NANOWRIMO / National Novel Writing Month.

Something I had never heard of previously, until this year and I feel like if you asked me a year ago if I would consider trying to write a novel full stop, let alone in a month, I would of shrugged it off and said it wasn't for me. Sure I had plenty of ideas that would probably be best in novel form, but I don't write novels. I write non-fiction and bad poetry. I struggle to write a decent short story, always struggling to stick to the word count, fated to go over by 1 to 2 thousand words from the first line.

Now you may be thinking that since I struggle to stick to a short story word count that surely something novel length would be ideal - now yes I could probably quite easily reach a large word count; if I knew what to write.

I'm terrible at designing plot. I usually start by imagining one scene in vivid detail, then another and another. But I have no idea how to fit them together, what goes in between, how they will be relevant in the plot, the climax or even how the novel will end. So committing to writing a novel in a month is a huge thing for me. Especially in this time of my life, where I feel constantly busy, like I have barely any time to sit down and read a couple of chapters of a book let alone sit down and write over 1,500 words of a novel that I have no idea how to structure everyday. That as well as read and write all the things I have to in order to work towards my degree.

I feel I am already set up to fail. Yet if I don't try, I'll never know. I feel like having to something to focus on just for my own enjoyment will be good. It will help me to establish a routine that is long over due. I am excited for this idea I've had for a few years now to come to life, full of examples of everything I have learnt from my first year of university.

So far I have re-typed the first draft / scene I wrote two years ago into Scrivener. Already I can see things I can improve, which gives me confidence that I have developed as a writer in university already.

Please wish me luck in being able to reach my word count everyday throughout November. Even if by the end of it, all I have is a pile of scenes that need to be mashed together into something cohesive, at least I will have something to work with. I know this isn't going to be easy, especially on days like today when I wake up in a bad mood.

Still to quote Brockhampton's Matt Champion "Got bipolar confidence. Wake up like shit! Then I feel like shit, so I guess I'm the shit."

I got this.

Kaitlyn

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