I’m organizing myself and have to put my NaNoWriMo16 announcement out to the world.

There is so much in my head right now, I’d love to have a download jack in my brain. Plug and play Lesley, version 1.0.

Seriously.

I participated in NaNoWriMo before, as NaNoFinMo (a month to edit my work in progress). Except, I stopped uploading my daily work for whatever reason. I’m not exceptionally adept at keeping daily logs. When I journal, I do it as and when the mood strikes.

In 2015, I declined participation because I of the marketing of my first book, Growing a Rainbow, and the launch of a second (The Queen’s Viper).

This year, I up my NaNoWriMo16 game. The Wrath of Atticus, book two in my V’Braed Series, is in its research and planning phase. I’m not a total pantser. As I found out today, I’m a “plantser.” I used an outline when writing The Queen’s Viper, however it was not exceptionally detailed. I plotted my characters’ movements, key events, dates in both timelines, mood, and so on.

I still felt that I had an organic style. This meant that when my characters did really neat things, or added layers of intrigue, I went back and adjusted several chapters without qualms. This time, I think I have to be more concise, for my own time management if nothing else!

I don’t “need” a designated month within which to drive my creativity. I recently finished and pitched a stand alone novel, and I have several cool writing projects in a variety of publishing pipelines.

However, one thing that NaNoWriMo16 creates is a strong sense of community, and I’d like to foster that in writers I know, and have yet to meet.

NaNoWriMo, begun as a motivational month for a small group of writers, reached even loftier higher goals. They evolved into a nonprofit organisation that sponsors literacy and writing skills across the ages.

Here are details from their web site:

 

In 2015:

• 431,626 participants, including 80,137 students and educators in the Young Writers Program, started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.
• 926 volunteer Municipal Liaisons guided 633 regions on six continents.
• 1,012 libraries, bookstores, and community centers opened their doors to novelists through the Come Write In program.
• 57,402 Campers tackled a writing project—novel or not—at Camp NaNoWriMo.
• Over 250 NaNoWriMo novels have been traditionally published. They include Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, Hugh Howey’s Wool, Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, Jason Hough’s The Darwin Elevator, and Marissa Meyer’s Cinder.
• Each year, authors offer mentorship to our participants through pep talks. Past author mentors have included Gene Luen Yang, John Green, N. K. Jemisin, and Veronica Roth.

Challenge yourself, or carve time out for one month to complete a 50K word count project. Whatever your motivation, NaNoWriMo is a great way to energize and streamline your process! And if you want to share your experiences, I’m all ears.

(p.s. I know the