Writing

In touring colleges with my daughter I realize that there is a frustrated English major in me dying to get out. All those years ago I chose to go into Science. Now don't get me wrong, I do love Science. In fact I'm passionate about Science but there is a part of me that loves words and wishes I could spend more time working with them.

"I met people of all ages, everyday of my working life, who were writing because they couldn't stop themselves." (p. 506) Thoughts of Edith the narrator of Kate Morton's The Distant Hours. She's an editor who's just discovered that her own mother had a passion for writing and gave it up years ago, and is a bit too afraid that she can't begin again at the age of 65. This quote gave me hope that perhaps that inner wordsmith has time to come out and create a bit. In fact last night I signed up for NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month a program that encourages the writing of a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. It is all about getting the words out and onto "paper" (nowadays it's electronic paper), quantity over quality at least for the first pass. That's what I need right now because the editor in my head wants to get it down perfectly the first time and that simply can't happen. But if I don't have a goal to sit down and do this writing I might never do it. I have the story idea in my head and notes are beginning to form on paper. In fact I was quite pleased with the ideas that were coming to me today. The challenge will be to schedule enough time to sit and write during the period starting 11/1/11 at 12:00am. I can tell you that I will not be up at midnight starting but I'll get to it some time. Plus the challenge to get it done and uploaded by 11/30. Even if I don't make it at least I will have tried. One of my co-workers went through this process two years ago and the book has been published. There's hope for me yet!