Blog Twenty-Three: Fourth Resolution

I came up with a fourth resolution.

I got this idea from something I was clued into last year, NaNoWriMo, the "National Novel Writing Month." This is an online competition of sorts whereby you sign up and, beginning on November 1, attempt to write an entire novel by November 30. You have to get to at least 50,000 words (which is a short novel.) I didn't find out about it until November 26 or something like that so I was too late to the party to play the game, but it's intriguing.

The competition's very clear: Quality doesn't matter. Write any crap you want, just get to 50,000 words. In a month. That's quite the output; 1,667 words a day, or the equivalent of a short essay.

The link:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/

I'm too impatient to wait until November, and anyway that's my busiest work month, so I've decided I will embark on PaLeNoWri, "Paternity Leave Novel Writing." From the beginning of my paternity leave (Feb. 20) to the day I leave for Scott's wedding in California (April 18, more or less) I pledge that I will write an entire novel, from the first word to the last. I can't guarantee it's going to be any good, but I'll keep you all updated. And I will not write a single word of this novel prior to February 20; every word will be written in that eight week span.

And tonight, The Cheatin' Bitch is coming to babysit so we can go for steaks. Woo hoo.