What if I wrote you a novel?

What if I wrote a novel? Just for you.

Have you ever heard of NaNoWriMo? It stands for National Novel Writing Month. It happens every November. The challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

It's all about quantity. Just getting those words out as fast as you can.

It is supposed to have a beginning - middle - end and it should read like a novel; but it doesn't have to be a good novel.

I've participated in NaNoWriMo for the past two years. The first year I attempted it and failed. Well, I didn't fail exactly, since you really get credit just for taking on the challenge to begin with. But, I didn't make 50,000 words in 30 days.

The second time I tried it - I committed, took it seriously, cleared my calendar and I DID IT!

It wasn't a great story, but it all came together and made sense and the ending brought all the problems to a reasonable conclusion, and isn't that really all we can ask from a story written in a fit of literary abandon?

So, I propose a new twist to this year's challenge. I want to write a novel for you.
I can't promise that I will succeed, only that I will give it my best effort.

I'll have 6 children at home and the only thing on my calendar is having a baby somewhere around the 15th of November. But, rather than obstacles, I'm looking at these things as inspiration. What could be more emotionally moving than bringing new life into this world? What could be more challenging or rewarding than raising children? Isn't that what a good novel needs; challenges, rewards and emotional movement?

I think that's a good place to start.

I don't know what the story will be about; how it will begin or how it will end. It's a mystery for us to explore together. So, I commit to showing up on November 1st and posting the first words of this crazy tale. Will you be here?

NOTE: So as not to confuse the novel posts with my regular real-life blogging, I will create a Label for NaNoWriMo2012 and all of the novel will be posted there.