NaNo Time of Year
NaNoWriMo started in July 1999 with just 21 participants. The goal is to get people writing. NaNo’ers attempt to write 50,000 words of a new novel between November 1 and 30. This works out to be 1667 words each day.
It is early October and we have about an inch and a half of snow on the ground. The sun is rising over the foothills later each day. When this happens, my thoughts turn to November. I’ll be dusting off my Lightbox and gathering a supply of candy and snacks. Stocking up. 
Nano’ers can plan the novel they’d like to write during the month of October. I begin by jotting down ideas as they arrive. I could be at the yarn rack inside the mall or at home peeling a banana when the muse strikes. It might dump a full blown plotline or the edges of a character sketch. A building downtown or neighborhood tucked behind a strip mall might suddenly urge me to include it in a list of settings. During this time of idea gathering it pays well to have a notebook and pen or voice recorder close at hand. Yes, my family tries to look unattached to me when inspiration strikes. I cannot walk and jot at the same time, so I have to stop, put my service dog, Havan, in a sit-stay, prop a cane against a shelf and rummage through my purse for the notebook. Even though my family is trying to look like they don’t know me, they hoover. Then I feel pressured to move along.
Every year on the First of NaNo I abandon my notes and send my ‘internal editor’ or ‘shoulder vulture’ off to a four star kennel run by the NaNoWriMo folks.
Even if I never use a single note about plot bunnies, character sketches and wild settings, I know my October composting is priming my word pump and November is going to be a blast. 
Find out more about NaNoWriMo at http://nanowrimo.org .
If I Should Die, a novel that began as a NaNo project is on sale this month at 50% off. Use the code 31Halloween2013 at checkout. If I Should Die and Milk Carton People are also available at Amazon, B & N, FictionWise, iTunes and other e-tailers in e-copy and paperback. Email me if you’d like a personally autographed paperback of either title. sally@sallyfranklinchristie.com or use the form below.
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I just removed the form because I had 5 spam emails that came on after the other… I am impressed by the speed of the bots that use my page.