Keep Calm...

November is here at last, which means it's time for NaNoWriMo!

I love National Novel Writing Month. Some years I use it to write an idea I love but will never get around to otherwise. Some years I use it to write something I've fallen behind on. Sometimes it's just great to kickstart an idea that stalled in the planning stages - somehow the deadline makes the plot fall in to place.

More than anything, it's a great excuse to spend thirty days concentrating on the writing. I have an excuse to beg off country walks or housework. I can say to my husband, "I need you to watch your daughter for the morning - I need to hit my word count!"

This year, I've stocked the freezer full of homemade meals to see us through no-cooking November, and I've got a fantastic headstart on the Christmas shopping. The house is in order, CBeebies is on the telly, and I am ready to write.

Unfortunately, the daughter spent most of the night awake, and I've had the Nina and the Neurons song stuck in my head since one am. Daughter's still all out of sorts, and wants to cuddle on the sofa (most unlike her) and keeps dragging me away from the keyboard.

And at this point, this post is longer than my NaNo novel so far...

That's right. I'd forgotten the other huge advantage of NaNoWriMo - perfecting the art of procrastination. I always get so much done when I'm avoiding writing my novel!

Getting back to the manuscript right now.