Is It Time?

“The first draft of anything is shit.” 

― Ernest Hemingway

Is it time to start thinking of Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month)?

I know. I know. Thinking about Nanowrimo, which starts November 1, is an admission that summer is coming to a close and it's time to put the shorts and sandals away (well, at least in my part of the world).

But, when it comes down to it, now is just as good as any to start getting those creative juices flowing. With over half the year gone, there must have been something that sparked your interest. Something that you thought would be a good story. Maybe it was someone you saw while at the grocery store or walking down the street. Maybe when you went to visit a family member. Or, maybe you had to work the entire summer and found out something juicy about a co-worker, your boss, or a regular client.

Remember, this isn't about having a complete story in your brain that, once December 1 hits, you can throw on the bookshelves. This is about writing. Just writing. Whatever it takes, without any inhibitions. Letting it loose. Throw caution to the wind and go for it.

“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm afraid of. ” ― Joss Whedon

Write as if your life depended on it. Write as if it would save the lives of those in a zombie apocalypse.

This reminds me of an episode from the TV show 'Supernatural' called, The Monster at the End of this Book. The characters of the show, Sam and Dean Winchester (two brothers who hunt supernatural forces), discover that someone named Chuck is, unknowingly, writing books about the Winchesters; and thus, what Chuck writes is what Sam and Dean experience.

You are Chuck. You write what happens to your version of Sam and Dean. Whatever you want.

“Make up a story... For our sake and yours forget your name in the street; tell us what the world has been to you in the dark places and in the light. Don't tell us what to believe, what to fear. Show us belief's wide skirt and the stitch that unravels fear's caul.” 

― Toni Morrison

See how freeing that is?
Isn't it amazing that there are no limits to the imagination?