Have you ever thought of what it would be like to write a novel? I have, it is something I have wanted to do for years, but (like most of us) have always felt like I was too busy.
Last week, I finally decided the only way I will ever find time is if I make some sacrifices. Now is the time to do it. November is National Novel Writing Month and for the next 26 days I, along with several thousand other aspiring writers from around the world, will attempt to bang out a 50,000-word (about 175-page) novel from scratch.
Chris Baty, of Oakland, and 20 fellow writers and friends, founded National Novel Writing Month in 1999. Last year, they had nearly 42,000 participants from all over the world, but only 6,000 of them made the 50,000-word deadline by midnight Nov. 30.
Those that finished uploaded their manuscripts to the Web site so their word count could be verified. Then their names were added to the official list of winners.
Entry fee $0, money spent on coffee $200, the chance to write a novel and challenge yourself - priceless.
For 30 days, participants around the world will be ignoring their cell phones, turning off their TV's, neglecting their friends and putting down their favorite books so they can create one of their own.
So I committed to the challenge. And after one month of sleep deprivation and insanity, I will have a novel to show for it (even if it does turn out to be crap).
Spelling, editing and pickiness will also have to wait until later; this is about unfiltered writing. And it is just what I need to get past my internal critic and create.
After the first night and two Red Bulls, I walked away from my computer with just over 2,000 words, a sense of satisfaction and dread. (Dread because I should have done a bit more studying for a test I had to take in six hours.)
The next morning, after about four hours of sleep and two violent smacks at my alarm clock, I headed to class. I took the exam, which I will now allow myself to forget about, at least until I find out my grade.
As I sit hour after hour at the computer, my inner monologue begins to sound a bit like an excerpt from "The Little Engine That Could," "I think I can, I think I can." After all, it's only a month.
There are about 200 or so aspiring writers in the Valley who are participating in National Novel Writing Month. But, of course, not everyone will finish. A lot of people will drop out of the race during week two - that's the breaking point.
This isn't the contest for procrastinators; that is why I (a recovering procrastinator) have committed to writing about 2,000 words a day, no exception. What makes me think I can make it? Passion. It is amazing what we can do when we feel truly passionate about something.
We have a lot of demands placed on us in our daily lives. We work, study, spend time with family and friends, but we often sacrifice time that could be used pursuing our creative goals. We have to make time for ourselves; otherwise we will always be too busy.
Laura Graham is a journalism junior, reach her at laura.graham@asu.edu.
