NaNoWriMo... NOT! or I So Totally Don't Rock

Bawk, Bawk! So, I chickened out. I'd been recruited by a friend to join her in the month long writing fest which is National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo for short. The idea is to start from scratch with a new book idea and write 50,000 words between November 1st and 30th. It's all about quality, not quantity, though any self-respecting writer is going to be thinking quality with every word he or she writes.

According to the website, "If you write 50,000 words of fiction by midnight, local time, November 30th, you can upload your novel for official verification, and be added to our hallowed Winner’s Page and receive a handsome winner’s certificate and web badge. We'll post step-by-step instructions on how to scramble and upload your novel starting in mid-November." They also say, "Win or lose, you rock for even trying." I so totally don't rock.

To all my nanowrimo friends out there, you guys rock!

The reason I opted out is because I'm currently at 55,000 words on my YA wip THE SECRET KEEPER - somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 words away from completion. I can taste the ending, and it reminds me of chocolate fudge ice cream cake - yeah, baby, I'm thinking it might be that good. (I love this picture so much! I'd love to see something similar on the cover of the book.)

Of course, it's a first draft, which looks like a skeleton compared to the final draft, which looks more like Ashton Kutcher with his shirt partially unbuttoned giving me "that look." (Is it getting warm in here?)

I don't know if I mentioned this, but an agent has asked to see TSK in FIRST draft format. This is beyond frightening, since it takes a whole lot of vision to "see" the ms for what it "can" and hopefully "will" be. I have faith in this agent, though, and am hoping their vision will be similar to mine, if not a thousand times better.

IN OTHER NEWS...
Phillies: WTF???? My cat Zoro is not a happy camper.