50,000 words in 30 days

Yesterday, I was at the library. Originally, it was to meet someone. They didn't show. So I spent my time there people watching and browsing though the stacks. That is how I found No Plot? No Problem! A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days.

Reading the first three chapters of it, I realized that I would much rather spend my summer vacation hacking out the first draft of a novel (50,000 pages) than what I have been doing--mainly trying to force myself to write items for pay and setting up a webpage.

I guess part of it is the fact that the pressure to produce money-making copy has killed my creativity. Now, that the money issue is settled, I would actually like to accomplish something this summer. Or at least something I want to accomplish.

I know, hardly the attitude that a professional writer is supposed to have. But there it is--my ever constant attitude problem. I am supposed to love slaving away for money, or so I get told by those who are handing me small piles of pennies.

And with my 42 birthday approaching, I would like to accomplish the task of writing a complete draft of a novel, even if it promises to be cat litter and unpublishable.

There is also the fact that I refuse to believe that a certain writer friend of mine is better at this business than I am. Yes, pride comes before a fall. If he can hack out a couple of novels in the space of a year, then so can I. And it is not like I have anything better to do in the month of July.

So during the month of July, I promise to hack out 50,000 words--a novel in the space of a month--not good words, but no rough draft is good words.

For those, who want to watch this insanity, I will be posting my progress here periodically over the next month. It promises to make term paper season look like a cakewalk.