NaNoWriMo started about 26 hours ago in my time zone and about 22 hours ago, I started up Open Office Writer.
I love that moment when I am starting a new project. Paper is clean and crisp and empty. Full of possibilities.
When I was first starting to put pencil to paper, I loved getting a brand new notebook for every idea I had. I would then take the time to make a title page using my best caligraphy (with a pencil) and my byline below (though I had no idea it was called a byline). On the next page I would write a dedication to my closest friends. Dedications that I read now and giggle. Then I would turn one more page and write carefully, neatly at the very top “Chapter 1″ and then my pencil would take off and the character would begin to come to life.
These days I love opening a new project. I spend several moments selecting the font and then settle in with Courier New. Afterall that is what manuscript format is written with and I want to be professional. <lifts chin proudly> Then I carefully select double spacing and change the margins to one inch from the default 0.79. Then I begin to write.
No title page, no page numbers, no fuss, no muss. I have learned that that first draft is going to be chucked almost completely when it is complete. At this point in my skill level that first draft is really a glorified outline. I treat it as notes for my second draft and so I try not to become attached to it. But I still love that moment when the project is first opened and the white digital paper is displayed on my screen. Clean and empty and full of possibilities.
I started off NaNoWriMo with a bang. I wrote 865 words in that first 45 minutes and then took a break for a walk in the dark. When I returned I wrote for a few minutes more ending at 968. At this point my dreamer’s mentality was telling me that this NaNo thing is easy. I don’t know what the fuss is all about. And then my 6 year old woke up.
Wrapped in his blankey, he stumbled up to me and climbed into my lap. I cannot resist cuddling with a sleepy child. It is better than any teddy bear. I set aside my computer and enjoyed the moment. Then I showed him that I had World of Goo on my new laptop and we played for about half an hour. Then it was breakfast time and I retreated to my room after, determined to get more words down.
The phone rang. Someone had called out of work and could I come in? The thought that went through my head was “No! I’m writing. I have to get my words down for NaNoWriMo.” but what came out of my mouth was “Sure thing, I’ll be there as soon as I can get ready.”
The prospect of not meeting my goal on the first day loomed before me. I knew I had the NaNo Write-In that evening in which I could write but I had no idea if I would even be able to write in a coffee shop surrounded by many others furiously tapping away on laptops.
It turns out I can. We had a Word War for the first half hour of writing time and I won. Take that, Tri-Cities Region! I wrote 1050 words in 30 minutes. Not bad.
And so the day ended with 2091 words for Day 1 and I feel good. You can find my NaNo page here.
But I woke up in the middle of the night and now I have to get back to generating more words. How did your first day go?
