NaNoWriMo -- I'm doing it.

So, I told myself I would do NaNoWriMo if I finished my Rapunzel novel by November 1st.

That’s not going to happen. (I don’t think).

I’m still going to do NaNoWriMo.

I got off track on Rapunzel because of unforeseen work disruptions which led to me ending work with a long-standing freelance client so I could keep up with the increased workload from another. And as I’ve written about often, I suck at writing during times of personal transition.

I will be able to bring my novel up to part three so I leave it at a good stopping point, which I think will mean it will not be too hard to get back into at the end of November. And that month might be a good opportunity for me to let everything “gel” before I make a decision about how I want to end it.

I do feel nervous about taking on NaNoWriMo when I’m in the thick of another novel AND will probably have some more unpredictability at work. I need to pick up some extra freelance work because I’ve bitten off a little more than I can chew financially right now, due to some expected expenses like an upcoming vacation and some home improvements, as well as some unexpected ones, like medical bills for both me and my pets.

But I remind myself that I’ve tackled NaNo during the years when I was doing my 9-5 and had less flexibility in my schedule. I tackled it during my first year as a full-time freelancer, when I was regularly putting in 10-hour days to make ends meet. I tackled it the year I was getting married, even though I didn’t think I could add one more thing to my to-do list during that time.

And the world won’t end if I don’t reach 50,000 words, right?

Ha, that’s what I always say. And I always become a slave to the word count gods anyway.

But I find myself yearning for it. I yearn for those long dark days and the hot tea for early mornings and late nights writing; I yearn for that feeling that comes from the total immersion of NaNoWriMo that I never get during the rest of my writing life; I yearn to become part of the local NaNoWriMo community here and to make more connections with other writers. I yearn for the practice of bringing my writing with me everywhere, of never letting myself “off the hook.” And having another completed novel won’t hurt, either.

I’m going to be writing the sequel to Rumpled, this one told from Emily’s perspective (the miller’s daughter). I’m missing a major plot point that I hope will arrive sometime next month.

I’m giving a presentation on completing NaNo at my library tomorrow, with tips on how to get it done (if you’re in it to win it). And preparing for the talk without plunging in alongside everyone else just doesn’t feel right.

I’ll post some of my tips here in the weeks leading up to November, and I’m making no promises about what will happen with my public writing after that.