Writing A Novel - 100 Words At A Time

I've been participating in a writing exercise, 100 For 100, with the ladies (and some gents) over at the Yahoo Teen Lit group. We all promise to write at least 100 words a day for 100 days, with only one built in day off.

This idea, brought up by the wonderful Alesia Holliday, is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I'm telling you, it's a marvel in action.

The mind is a scary and complex thing. It refuses to engage if you ask it to compute too much information. Which is why I shy away from the Nanowrimo contests. But if you whittle that info into small chunkets, the brain becomes an amazing and dangerous tool.

Being that I have a novel to turn in early summer, 100 For 100 came at a perfect time. I highly recommend it.

In honor of my participation, I feel the need to wax philosophical. So, here are:

The Top 10 Reasons...Why writing a novel 100 words at a time is the bees knees
Yes, I said the bees knees! Want to make something of it?

10. Who in the frick CAN'T write 100 measly words a day?!

I can sneeze that many in my sleep, with one hand tied behind my back and the Princesses bickering at my side.

9. I'm finally getting one over on that crafty bastard of a brain of mine.

Oh, it thinks its so hot needing all these special arrangements to write well - pop music (no louder than volume 2, please), low level artificial light (sunlight is preferable) and a near Zen-like quiet. My brain has more requirements than a diva on tour! But for 100 words, I'm able to whip those out before it even realizes we've gotten down to work.

8. Once I begin, I've forgotten how much I'd rather be watching The Hills.

7. You never (okay, rarely) only write 100 words a day!

6. There's this little animal called, guilt, that is immediately fed and silenced.

Writers write. But sometimes we resent having to do it in place of family time or watching M*A*S*H re-runs. And sometimes that resentment leads to slacking. But once you check your 100 off the list, the sense of accomplishment is quite grand.

5. It's changed my writing clock (and that's a good thing).

I used to be a night-writer, you know, needing to meet all of my brain's requirements and all. But now, knowing all I've gotta do is dash off 100 words, I have no problem getting up early before the rest of the house awakens. I can always do more later in the day, if I want. But getting my words out of the way early is a boost for the day.

4. It's a routine without shackles.

Anything you write beyond 100 words is GRAVY. So, if you look up and realize you've been at it for a few hours, you can move on to other things (sleep!) without the aforementioned guilt monkey on your back.

3. Getting your daily fill is good for you.

Whether I write 500 or 2,000 words that day, it feels good just getting down to it. Writing is like exercise (at least for me) - something you know you need to do but aren't always hopping to do it. But I use the same trick for exercise by telling my mind I'm only doing 10 minutes. Three sets of ten minutes later, I've gotten in a decent workout.

2. If I stick with the program, I'll have an entire novel finished by the end.

This of course, assuming I'm writing more like 1,000 words a day. Shh...don't tell my brain!

1. It turns writing back into a lifestyle vs. a job.

I write everyday anyway - for my FTJ or blogging. But I've gone days before without touching my WIP. Now, everyday I'm back in the world of Del Rio Bay with my characters, making me a cast member in the story instead of an out-of-towner who drops in now and then.