I’m not going to lie – I spent the last few days moping as I’ve done the last few years (as one college friend put it, birthdays tend to go downhill once after your 21st) . I just think of all the stuff I should have accomplished in life because anyone who is my age should’ve done so by now. Yesterday was no different, I skulked around and melted into nothingness as I watched the boob tube.

Then a thought came to me –
It’s a new year, a new me. I don’t have to wait until January 1st to do something different and new with my life. I can start today and use the New Year to reconsider the goals I’ve already set and put into motion.
So, that’s the plan – I’m going to spend a portion of the day listing out things I want to achieve by the end of December 2009 and even, possibly, 2010.

Off the top of my head, I already know I want to:
• -Get into shape (haha, is this ever not on anyone’s New Me list?)

• -Do what’s important for my future career aspirations (and in that vein, stay somewhat organized – lots of goal, not so much time…)

• -Ignore those who are petty and just stay positive (happy minds, happy bodies, happy everything – one of my many mantras (those of you who know me may be groaning right about now, don’t think I don’t know that;). Life’s short enough as it is and I think it’s so much better when you can stay optimistic.

• -Stop sweating the little stuff if I can help it. I decided to step back from NaNo (not completely; I’m still going to write as much fiction as I can, but due to outside events a couple weeks ago, 100k is out of my scope). I decided to forego entering the Golden Heart (after thinking about it, I decided it really wasn’t for me, at least not right now…maybe that’ll change in the future, who knows)

• -I do know I want to keep reading novels for fun. I barely read for fun the last four years and, well, it sucked. I carved out time this year to read more and I realize I’m a happier person because of it. It’s important to keep stuff that makes you happy and keeps you sane. 

So, yeah, I’m looking at new beginnings and to be honest, I’m kinda stoked about it.

How about you? What are some things you’re looking forward to changing or doing or even keeping the same for 2010 or your next birthday?

So, I’m sitting on my couch watching Drop Dead Diva, thinking about NaNoWriMo whilst pretending to write since I’ve already given up on doing any homework tonight.

I’m trying to finish two novels by hitting 100k (what a way to get me back into the swing of things, right?) during NaNo and I realize my usual pantser/organic ways isn’t going to work this time round. I need to plot things out and I need to plot it well. Originally, I thought I’d just write out an outline, do a couple character sheets, and just write. It worked all the years I participated in NaNo in the past. This year, however, is the first time I’m doubling up on word count. I’ll be bringing out the big guns for this – outlines, character sheets, world building documents, diagrams, and more. Here’s a list of resources I’ll be looking into using during the remainder of October to plot out a few novels:

Flash drive and email account: Just in case the Unthinkable happens and my laptop crashes, I want to make sure I have my WIPs backed up somewhere.

Paperback Writer: NaNoWriMo Ten

NaNoFiMo:

NaNoWriMo: I can’t forget the site itself, now can I? From articles to the very active forums, it has it all.

I haven’t fully participated in NaNo since my high school days.

It’s hard and terrifying and can kind of make you nauseous, yet thousands of people from around the world participate.

Why?

Because, at least to me, it’s fun. When I first head of NaNo, I thought people were pretty much crazy. Moving on, I said, clicking away. But then I clicked back and went through the forums. Yep, I said, y’all are loco and I left. Less than ten minutes (because I can be obsessive like that), I clicked back on and read up on NaNo history. I’d leave and come back, leave and come back, pretty much all of October. In the middle of the first week of November, I finally decided what the hell, just do it.

So I wrote.

And I wrote.

Then I wrote some more.

I also didn’t tell anyone what I was doing. Friends and family suddenly saw me carrying notebooks around, ignoring pleas to get off the computer, and muttering about how Character C couldn’t get with Character A because that would somehow destroy the space continuum (I am still so very proud of my first NaNo which I titled Moon Rocks, Pizzas, and Crazy Dancing Elves. One day, I’ll find where I hid it. One day).

When I actually clocked 50,000 words, I thought my eyes would fall out of my head – I couldn’t believe it! I did it. I actually did it! Printing out that NaNoWriMo certificate was one of the happiest moments I had that month. And every year since I found NaNoWriMo, I dragged other people with me on the quest to write 50,000 words of a novel in the month of Novemeber (shoot, even when I wasn’t participating, I still tried to convince others to give it a shot).

I put aside NaNo (and writing stories) throughout college. Now, I’ve rekindled my love for the written word. And, with that love came people, other writers who ask “Hey, have you heard of this thing called NaNoWriMo?”

Um….

So, I’m doing it again. After a rather long hiatus, I’ve signed up in the NaNo forums, buddied up with other novelists in various stages of their writing career, and will be writing to my heart’s content.

The only difference – this year I’m aiming for 100,000 words.

Even if I don’t end up on the moon, I’ll land amongst the stars, right? Right?

It’ll be hard and terrifying and thinking about 100k kinda makes me nauseous. But I’m also amazingly excited.

Why?

Because come November, it’ll officially be National Novel Writing Month. And during NaNo, well, anything can happen.

*smile and cue dancing elves and pizza slices for everyone*

How about you? Will you be participating in NaNo?