I was cobbling together dinner earlier as rain fell against my porch’s tin roof and the news jabbed at me from the living room. And I looked out my window at the Douglas firs which seemed to have grown taller this past year, and wondered how it can possbily be November. And how the gloom and mist and hard rain were the new normal. And that stabbed at me a bit. I had to shake myself, kind of like a wet dog, because the clocks are going back an hour and the gloom will become more pervasive. At least I don’t live in Alaska, I told myself because months of darkness sound hellish.

And then: it’s a good time to get some writing done. And make soup. 

But before I fixate on soup–I made an extraordinary batch of turkey vegetable a few days ago– let’s get down to business.

Congratulations  to the hardy souls who are heading into the bucolic and exhausting stint known as NaNoWriMo.

BECAUSE:

• Companionship, check.
• Accountability, check.
• Excitement, check, check.
• Fun, triple check.

And yes, I know multi-pubished and best-selling authors who started out on November 1 with a mission and a passion and a need to write.

You might ask yourself:

• What does my protagonist want desperately?
• Why does he or she have this desperate need?
• What hideous doom might befall him or her if he or she fails?
• What will break your main character?
• Who or what will stand in the way?
• Is this the most interesting and exciting segment of your character’s life?

When you’re not writing be thinking about your characters and the dilemmas and traps you’re setting. You might also write wee missives before sleep asking these questions. Imagining the face, the way your character faces the world.

See? Not so bad. And you’re off!

Best of luck. And thanks for stopping by.