NaMoProMo, NaNoPoMo, NaMoNoMa…..say whaaat? How about NaNaNaNa or NoNoNoNo? That’s how I’ve viewed this contest/competition/challenge in the past. It seemed ludicrous to me and I warily eyed those who participated, thinking that they were taunting me with Nah, nah, I can write an insane number of words every day and you can’t! My mental response became No, No! I will not subject myself to this torturous ordeal. I don’t write fast and I don’t write a lot – two habits you apparently need in order to be part of this gang.
But….this year I’ve reconsidered. Not because I have a novel burning in my back pocket, but because I’ve been wanting to blog more lately. And I’m out of excuses.
Years ago, Luci Shaw wrote that it’s a crime to live cautiously (check out her 2005 book, “The Crime of Living Cautiously: Hearing God’s Call to Adventure”). She inscribed my book with “For Denise – Adventure is calling.” Unfortunately, one can hear a call and not answer. I know this all too well. It would be easy for a jury to convict me on multiple counts, for not answering the call and for living too cautiously.
So when I read that poets and bloggers and other non-novel writers can jump on the November writing bandwagon too, I thought, “Why not?” I will take the challenge, answer the call, and get my words out there. It will be an adventure. Right? (“Right?” repeats the cautious soul.)
I had to look it up. NaBloPoMo means National Blog Posting Month. I’m sticking with that. No more NaNa or NoNo for me.
fearnot365 