It's The Night Before NaNo

It used to be I celebrated the 31st of October because of Halloween. Now I celebrate because, at midnight, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) begins.

For those who don't know, November has become a month when people all over the world concentrate on producing words, 50,000 of them to be exact, in the shape of a novel. It's not a competition in the traditional sense, everyone wins who completes their goal before midnight November 30th.

You'll never find a more supportive opportunity to write a book. The community offers tons of support, from meeting in live groups to write together, to an incredibly helpful forum where all sorts of questions are addressed.

I was so excited to start this year (my second) that I penned a short poem in celebration:

It's The Night Before NaNo

By Genta Sebastian

It’s the night before NaNo and all through the house

Every creature is scrambling, including my spouse

The Halloween costumes had filled me with dread

But now my three munchkins are all Living Dead

Out the door they go bravely, three kids and adult

Upon their return, I’ll be deep in the cult

My fingers will twitch while I watch the clock

Unable to start until midnight will knock

It’s then that their nightmare begins to grow real

I’ll be like the undead to them, that’s our deal

They all are on warning, they all know the curse

The Nano attack will have Mom in full verse

I’m not doing laundry, I’m not cooking meals

I’m not driving errands, no matter who squeals

Instead I’ll be dancing with plot twists and devices

Not caring one bit about pre-Christmas prices

I’ll stop for Thanksgiving, but just for that day

My family comes first, and besides I can pray

That my muse breaks her silence, or gives me a peek

So my word output doubles during the last week

And just when they think that I gave up the ghost

From the office I’ll shamble, but ready to boast

“I did it,” I’ll say, “fifty thousand words, plus!

“The novel is finished. We can all readjust.”

For NaNo I give up a month of my life

The children will suffer, and so will my wife

My eyes will be bloodshot, my back wracked with pain

As I make plans for next year, when I’ll do it again

I hope you'll join us on this adventure into the world of your own creativity. I'll be putting up posts as the days roll along, hoping for your words of encouragement and support.

Write On!