Writing time

I have started to do Nanowrimo (nanowrimo.org).  It is a challenge that help me make the transition between my head and a written document.  I was able to do that for many stories.  This year, it is a story that I had hinted last year.  Also, last year was an addition to a story from a previous year.  I think that this trilogy will be enough in that world of secrecy and scientific research.  I will concentrate on this year story.  I don't know what I will do next year if I do it.  I usually do one year at a time and often, I get an idea during the year, even if it can be at last minute.

This year, I am also making a breakthrough.  A few years back, at this time of year, I was reading gothic stories (the early classic like Melmoth the Wanderer, The Castle of Otranto and books by Anne Ratcliffe).  It was helping me mentally in this darker time of the year. I was beginning in the end of September or really early October and I would finish at the end of December, max early January.  Since I started Nanowrimo, I didn't pursue that tradition.  I am thinking of taking it back, maybe next year.  I would like to see if reading and writing could go along well.  This year, I want to finish a few books I have started before starting new books.

Writing, as any craft, always helped me on the mental level.  It is therapeutics.  It also help me to concentrate on something.  Since I started nanowrimo, it had helped me even if I stress out a bit.  I am a bit competitive.  I always felt the pressure to complete this challenge.  I learned a few things in each time I participated.  I also have periods where I improvised.  It was not something easy to do but I got great ideas while improvising.  I also learned that an great idea doesn't mean an 50 000 words story at the end of the month.

So, the month of November had become a period to write for me.  I am thinking to try something next year.  I am thinking to write during October but it won't be related to nanowrimo.  In a way, it will extent my period of writing. I want to write something shorter and not as intensive.  I don't know what I will do then.  I think to take the month of October as a warm up for November.  I'll see what will come out of it.