A Matter of Perspective

This month is the official National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). You didn’t think I had forgotten, did you?!

Well, it is. As of today half of the month is over. I can tell you the exact number of words I have written—1537 words.

As you may remember from previous writings about this topic, the goal of NaNoWriMo is to reach 50,000 words written during November (or 50,000 at one of the various “camps” they host in the spring and summer). It averages out to 1667 words per day.

I guess I am a little behind. And I am not writing a novel. It is more of a non-fiction book about why our stories are important. I have heard more about “our stories” and how important they are more in the last two years than I have ever heard in my life.

But I did already know that our stories are important as I am sure many of you did, too.

Storytelling is as old as the world. We have always told our stories from the creation of the planet according to the Bible, to the downfall of man, even stories about the dinosaurs, we have always told and passed down our stories from generation to generation.

Before the written word was popular, we told our stories in person. After the invention of the printing press, our stories could be shared with many people. And so they were.

Some of us don’t believe that our stories matter—that they are unimportant. But I am here to tell you that your story is important. You are the only one who has lived your life. Even if it “seems” mundane, your story has meaning.

I often think of stories that my grandparents told me. Now, I reflect on a lot of the stories my mom told me.

Those stories die along with their owners if we don’t share them. Take that in. If we want someone truly dead and gone, stop telling their story! Without the story, they cease to exist.

I am not sure if I will get this book done during NaNoWriMo. I will give it my best shot. I have to write over 3200 words per day to get it done by the end of the month.

I know it is possible. But it may not be probable. I read once about this romance writer (I can’t remember her name) who could knock out one of her 50,000-word romance novels in nine (9) days! That’s 5555 words a day. Of course, if that is all she did (like no day job) then I guess it would be possible.

Just think, in about four months, she could write enough so that she could release a new novel every month for 13 months! Technically, she would only have to work for four months a year!

Well, more power to her I guess. That is not the speed at which I write. But I will be working more on my writing over the remainder of this month.

I mean, come on. It’s NaNoWriMo!