Without Fail

I signed up for NaNoWriMo this year. Actually, I didn’t need to sign up — I already have an account. See, I’ve failed NaNo at least twice before.  Also I’ve failed to finish at least three online writing classes. And I punted my senior college thesis and turned what should have been an art history paper into five pages of really awful poetry.

I don’t have the best record for completions. I’ve been looking to bring in a backup QB for years.

So this should be my year for NaNo. Both kids in school, right? Theoretically, now is the time. It’s just one month! 50,000 words! I logged into my NaNo account yesterday with all the bright-eyed, waggy-tailed optimism of my dog, right before you throw him a tennis ball.

Day 1. Thus far, I have nothing.

What I have learned is that I should sign up to write a novel anytime I want to get anything done around the house. Instead of my first 1600 words (today’s goal), I have a house that is clean and free of Halloween decor. All my bills are paid and mailed. I picked up dry cleaning. I went to the bank. In short, I managed to kick ass on every task that did not involve starting a novel.

Where are my ideas? My mind is blank. No plots. No characters. No setting. What I do have is a running tally of stuff I need at Target, a mental note to start Christmas shopping for my nephews, and assorted scheduling details for volunteering at school.

I’ve heard it’s possible to write a novel without a plan in place. Is it also possible to write a novel without an idea?

I still have a few hours left in the day. 1600 words. Considering it took me 30 minutes to write 300 words just now, I have plenty of time. Helps that I can’t do math.