Those of you who read my musings via this site's RSS feed (you are using the Feedburner one, aren't you?) will not see the new graphic at the top of the right-side column on the main page. Yes, I will again be taking part in the annual self-flagellation event known as "NaNoWriMo", or National Novel Writing Month. The insanity will commence shortly, at 12:00 AM, Wednesday, November 1st. Writers will have thirty days to write 50,000 words. The goal is to suppress your inner editor and just write, going for quantity over quality. An average of 1,667 words a day is what you're shooting for. Doesn't sound like much, does it? You try it. Last year, I flamed out some where around 18,000 words, not even making the halfway point. I've been doing some brainstorming the past week or so, and I think I've got a story I can take the distance this year. (No, Rich, it's not the one we've been talking about; that's on the back burner for now, but still something I'd like to pursue.) I've been fleshing out the main character, even made a few notes. I've set up the PowerBook as the primary writing machine. For those of you in and around Lewisville, Texas, there's a write-in scheduled at the Lewisville Public Library this Saturday, November 4th, from 2:00-4:00 PM. Bring your laptop, they have wifi. Our church has the Roads Coffee House, open on Sundays from 10:15 AM-12:45 PM, and Thursdays from 5:30-9:00 PM, and I'm going to try to organize a write-in for a Thursday night. (Hey, Brent, you want in on this? This could be a kick start to getting some writing done.) NaNoWriMo participant "ShatteredByRain" has posted some encouraging--or maybe sado-masochistic?--calendar wallpapers for the NaNoWriMo crowd. I'm using the one titled "Shore". Hopefully it will inspire more than depress. "Thirty Days and Nights of Literary Abandon." Let's hope so!