Day 3: Giving Thanks for Language and Writing today.
So, what’s with all those numbers?
1666.666666666667 is how many words I must write on average every day over a 30 day span in order to reach 50,000 words – which is the magic number to qualify for having written a “Novel” in the annual NaNoWriMo challenge.
Say what?!
NaNoWriMo = National Novel Writing Month.
This annual writing marathon event is always held in November. So, technically, shouldn’t they have named it NoNaNoWriMo? Or, would it be NaNoNoWriMo?…
Déjà Vu
Yes. I’ve been here before. Every November for the past decade I’ve set out on my NaNoWriMo Novel quest. And, every November for the past decade I’ve never reached what I felt qualified as my 50,000 word count.
Because… do blog posts really count as a “novel”?! …
The rules for NaNoWriMo are pretty loosey goosey (yes, that’s an official use of urban lingo). Basically, if you can write 50,000+ words and you feel like you’ve written a novel, then you have. It also doesn’t have to be (and very likely will never be) publish worthy. The goal is to basically “jump start” a writer into regurgitating ideas – which is generally what writers actually do with their time – in order to eventually create something coherent.
Therefore, this year I’ve decided to create my own three simple “rules” to follow:
RULE #1.
Count every word written between November 1 – 30, in any setting, toward the 50,000 word Novel goal.
RULE #2.
Blog something every day – which I will count toward my 50,000 word Novel goal (see Rule #1).
Disclaimer: Consider yourself warned you may be subjected to unreadable drivel, but I thank you in advance for supporting my quest.
Rule #3.
“Don’t be stupid”
(in honor of Stranger Things 2 which I binge-watched on Halloween)
Just keep trying
I love to write.
If I had to choose between my gift for singing or my love of writing, I would choose writing. I really would. Because writing has always been the deepest, truest music of my soul.
Or, as Voltaire put it….
Writing is a way to record your thoughts and feelings, and your dreams and fantastical stories. Imagine what our world would be without the written word.
No holy scripture. No books. No history, journals or memories captured of our past. No preservation of our present for the future. No modern means of communication either – no news, blogs, emails, text messages, or love notes.
I am so thankful for the gift and privilege of the art of language, reading and writing! I hope that each of us will take full advantage of this immeasurable gift.
Happy NaNoWriMo month! Imagine the possibilities!
What will you write? – MoSop
Latter-day Soprano 
I, also, love to write. As you know, mine takes the form of poetry. I hope you don’t mind if I enclose one in this comment. My Granddaughter will be 18 the 22nd of this month. I recently wrote a poem that I plan to print and enclose in her birthday card, along with her birthday money, of course. I want her to think about her life and not just do impulsive things. Here is the poem:
“Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.” – John Greenleaf Whittier
What Might Have Been
When you are young and full of life,
your days are filled with hope,
Your future stretched out far ahead,
who knows how far you’ll go,
One thing that never does occur,
or ever cross your mind,
That one day in that far away,
you’d ever look behind,
And see a life you didn’t plan,
a life full of regret,
For sometimes things don’t quite turn out,
the way that we expect,
One day, with retrospective eyes,
you’ll see it all so clearly,
The path you should have taken then,
you walked upon but rarely,
If only you could turn around,
and do it all again,
Knowing things that you know now,
you never would begin,
To walk upon that other road,
the one more traveled on,
How different would your life be now,
so many chances gone,
So, think about this while you’re young,
if wisely you have chosen,
As your days draw to an end,
you’ll never think, what might have been.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a beautiful gift for your granddaughter! Thank you for sharing it with us! ❤
LikeLike
I neglected to tell you how happy I am that you keep on writing. It is a true blessing to all of us who follow this wonderful blog.
Love you, Lynne
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for reading and for being my friend!
LikeLike