All you need is a beginning

A month of NaNoWriMo and crazy writing dreams began yesterday. The lessons I’ve learned from this event has shaped every bit of my writing career. I finished my first novel in the 2008 NaNoWriMo challenge.

All you need is a beginning. And you know what? It doesn’t even have to be the first chapter or scene. your first words could end up on page 159, if you want. Write the fun climactic fight scene or that moment when the hero and heroine meet for the first time. Write the very last scene. Some people are super linear and maybe can’t do that, but you know, maybe you’re not as linear as you think. Don’t let it hold you back.

Be productive. Keep moving forward every day. Write the scenes that call to you now. And the bits that keep you from writing will continue to percolate as you write the fun stuff.

My zero drafts are ripe with the [insert this particular thing here tags]. I don’t write sex on the first time through because it slows me down. I skip through it and come back when i come back for layering in the emotion. And you know what? It’s okay to do that. You have to do what works for you.

So, do yourself a favor this November. When you’re writing, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something different. Don’t be afraid to be UN-linear.

It’s just 1667 words a day. You can do this. I can do this. We can all do this. And it will be awesome and fun! GO WRIMOS!!!