Day Five - Into that dark night...

It's quarter past ten and I was hoping to have something up over five hours ago. I realised, however, that after yesterday I wasn't sure whether I'd have anything interesting to say but I had made a deal with myself to attempt to update all through NaNoWriMo and I am one of the most stubborn people that I know. I get that from my dad.

So, it is day five of NaNoWriMo for all us New Zealanders. (I'm sure it is day five for others as well but I tend to give myself a headache when I try to figure out time zones and the such...) Five days of insane writing and hours of solitude, not to mention blurred vision. Yet, I am enjoying it, regardless of what my tweets say.

I don't know if it is down to the sheer abandonment of writing something that I know is 'craptastic' or whether it is the fact that I have been writing far too many essays revolving around education in New Zealand. I can say this much though, I would definitely recommend this month long 'competition' to anyone who has ever thought of writing a novel. I'm finding out things about my writing that I didn't really notice prior to this.

Also, NaNoWriMo gives you the chance to try new styles. That is one of the great things about it. What I am writing is for me and me alone. It may not be up there with any great authors but it is one way for me to hone my craft - if that is not too cliched to say. The fact that my paragraphs are stilted and some of the dialogue doesn't flow is a good sign because it means that I am not pouring over every word as I write. Instead, I am enjoying the flow that comes with getting involved in something that makes me happy.

Anyway - this is a message for everyone else doing NaNoWriMo this year:

Good luck to each and every one of you. Enjoy the time you spend crafting your new worlds, characters and scenarios. Enjoy playing with those adjectives, verbs and nouns. Indulge in the occasional cliche or create a new one. Dive into the beautiful world of night-time inspiration and follow it wherever it goes. Once again I wish you luck.

From a fellow bibliophile and lover of the written word,
JJ.

Peace, love and pancakes.

Word count: 11 042
Tunes: Billionaire By Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars.

Edit: I still cannot figure out why my blog keeps coming up with the wrong date and time. But since I am heading to America next week I will leave it at that for now. JJ
Also - it's Guy Fawkes here in New Zealand. I love the fact that we celebrate a guy who failed to blow up parliament and was burned at the stake...sigh...