November is my favorite time of year!

Well not really. I actually happen to hate winter, and by November in Wyoming, winter has arrived in with full force. Which makes it the perfect month to hole up in your house with a store of hot chocolate and write. So from now until ... well, probably sometime in the middle of December, National Novel Writing Month (NaNo WriMo) is pretty much all I'm going to talk about. I'm a big believer in NaNo WriMo. It's because of NaNo that I finished my full novel and here's why: * To finish 50,000 words in 30 days (the goal NaNo WriMo) you have to keep pace at 1666 words per day. That means you have to totally shut off your inner critic. Which feels good. (Until you go back and read through it ...) * It taught me to write to the finish, no matter how bad I think it is. The result is that instead of a computer full documents with only one or two chapters, I actually have a folder full of (badly written) first drafts with a lot of potential. * It's okay to write silly and ridiculous scenes. Remember, you're the editor. You can always take it out later. But if you want to write it, write it! I think everyone should try NaNo WriMo just for the things it will teach you about your writing. Don't worry; like I always tell my sister, the NaNo WriMo Police won't come after you if you don't make 50,000 words. Get geared up! November is right around the corner and I expect you all to join in! (I created a fun group on Facebook for moral support for NaNo WriMo. Drop by and we'll add you to the group! http://www.facebook.com/raneesclark)