We are about a week and a half away from the start of National Novel Writing Month 2013! If you have been to the Bad Shakespeare Facebook Page, you’ll note that the banner has been replaced with the title with the title of what I’ll be working on and what you’ll be reading for the next month: Mars and Kaplan Save the World. It’s a story that I’ve been thinking about for a while now. Basically, it’s about what happens when the Chosen One fails... twice, and the people trying to save the world from mystical demons have to go with their third choice. I’m looking forward to getting it started and sharing it with everyone.
While preparing for Nanowrimo, I’ve been talking a lot about MY motivations for doing it... I want to be a writer, I want to write a novel, this is good motivations. I’ve also discussed some of the unique worries I have about my particular project, particularly that I’m going to be working on a novel in real time in front of everyone. However, with today’s post I wanted to focus on something more important, that being: why should YOU do it?
Novel writing or writing isn’t for everyone, but that’s not the point of National Novel Writing Month. The point is to get your story out their, and here’s the thing: We all have a story to tell. Think about it, is there one person who’s doing the exact same thing as you at every moment. (Except your stalkers.) Chances are if you answered no to that question (except those of you with stalkers) then you have a unique perspective to bring to the world. And we all tell stories. All of us, in our own ways, even if it’s just telling a good story at the bar to pick up a young chick (or dude) and to impress our friends. (Or make them jealous. Jealous of our awesomeness.) We tell stories all the time, why not write them down?
The whole point of the month is to force ourselves to get those stories down. And when you think about it, that’s really most of life, getting our stories down. And really, what do you have to lose? At any given moment, if the worst outcome from challenge is “nothing changes, I end up where I started” then then it’s not that big of a risk. Why not go online, sign up with the website, and just start trying? Everyone has a story to tell you just have to figure it out, then tell it.
Despite the crushing fear, I’m really looking forward to creating my world and sharing it with everyone. And hey, three people might end up reading it. But that’s three more people than if I just kept it in my head and left it there. (I’m sure more people are going to read it. And they’re going to share it with their friends. Then Jack Black will pick it up to buy the screenplay, and then, finally, my long-form plan to make Emma Stone my wife will finally come to fruition!) But this is an exciting time.
The only real downside is that ever since I noticed I’d have to write 1700 words a day, I’ve been really paying attention to the word counts on Bad Shakespeare... making me a little nervous. But I think I can do it. And I know you can do it, too.
If you do wish to register, make sure you friend Bad Shakespeare on Nanowrimo so we can motivate each other!
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