The hair of the dog that bit you

Okay. Anyone who's visited this blog and scanned the entries can see that I'm clearly suffering from serious writer's block. I'd rather rearrange my sock drawer than work on my novel. (And I have. Several times.)

So why am I taking on the 2006 National Novel Writing Month challenge?

Because I need to write. And I'm the kind of writer that needs a deadline.

With only 30 days to crank out 50,000 words, I'll have to write fast and furiously. My inner editor will be lucky if I take time to fix typos.

I know from the last time I did this that you get a feel of almost mystical empowerment when you look up and see that you cranked out more than 1,000 words in one hour. That's a heck of an achievement.

So what if it isn't publishable? Most stuff isn't.

But it's written down. And from there, you can study it, figure out what works, what doesn't, and start the polishing process. (Granted, you can take the polishing too far, but we'll worry about that once I've got a rough draft.)

At this point, I'm too personally invested in my first novel to touch it. If I keep churning out crappy drafts on a regular basis, I won't feel that kind of personal attachment to any one of them. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

Let me live in my fool's paradise until November 30. Reality can come crashing down AFTER I've crossed the finish line.