Put Down the Cat O’ Nine Tails and Step Away…

I’m drafting this in Campbell Hall at UCSB, waiting to hear Steven Johnson talk about his book Wonderland: How Play made The Modern World.I expect it will be interesting and inspiring, and it makes me realize that it is official: I have given up on trying to “win” this year’s NaNoWriMo.

After the first week of November, I quickly realized work on the novel I planned to tackle during the month was reluctant at best, self-flagellation at worst. Forcing myself to continue writing scenes for the...