Marrying NaNoWriMo

It’s taking everything I’ve got to write this post. I mean, it is November after all. I should be NaNo’ing!

 

As of the writing of this post, I am on track with my goal of writing 50,000 words in 30 days, but I foresee myself getting behind very soon. What, with my sister’s wedding being tomorrow, I doubt I’ll have time to do any writing for a few days.

Today I’ll be helping decorate the church, the reception area and the dance hall. The rehearsal is tonight also. And tomorrow… I don’t even want to think about everything that has to be done before the “I do’s” take place.

Can the same thing of this quote be said of writing?

While there will be lots of joy and merriment in my sister’s wedding, my NaNoWriMo novel will not be far from my mind. Because while my sister is stressing out about details of her wedding day, I’ll be stressing out about my missing plot ending.

Yes, I realize that we’re only seven days into NaNo (as of the writing of this post) but I’m already stressing about the end of my novel because I. Don’t. Have. One. Oh, the rest of it is going great. I’m starting to get a real feel for the characters and world in which my novel is set but I don’t have an ending planned out yet.  

As I think about my sister saying her vows tomorrow, I realize it’ll be as if she’s writing “Once upon a time” on her life. It’ll be a new beginning for her and her husband-to-be. She and her fiancé are embarking on a story together, knowing that “happily ever after” won’t come without some effort on both of their parts.

Writing a novel is really fairly similar in terms of work. It will take the investment of time, love and care to see this thing through to the end.

And in November, when you eat, sleep, play and pray with your story, it may well seem like your married to NaNoWriMo.

I just want to take a moment to tell Alexis and Dan I love them both, wish them the best as they embark on their new life together and hope they have a “happily ever after.”