www.nanowrimo.com It's national novel writing month. Write 50k words in the month of November (and April and July for Camp NaNo). It's a party.
Something I wrote last year when my son was born: “Thankful (Colin)” This star doesn’t shoot anymore, it hangs above our sky and refuses to listen I’ve had no sleep, but I don’t blame you for wanting better The passing cars offer a little light, but they're gone before you can make out the shape We sit still and recite prayers or talk about the weather I could have been so much better I’ll strip the paint from my insides and expose the bare board and bones I’ve had no sleep, but I don’t blame you and I never will I want you to remember these moments, but I know they’re only for me You’ll never know how you gave my arms their fill and they became for you I could break them chasing these kite dreams Or fill them with gold and precious hues But I’d rather wrap them over your body We’re thin shadows, cast across porchlight scenes If you carry my name, then you can never really lose me We’re thin shadows, pinned to the ceiling of your room I hear you breathe and know I don’t deserve you But I’ll stay thankful I’ll stay thankful I’ll never be this thankful ever again I’ll never let myself get over you This sun doesn’t set the way it used to and now i can barely settle in I’ve had no sleep, still feel overwhelmed and glowing These sidewalks are going to call your name and carry your footprints We’re so overwhelmed and I think it’s showing These moments are for you I could chase the bursts of light that barely hold or fill my lungs with every sad excuse But I’ll muster strength and put your name on my soul We’re thin shadows, cast across porchlights scenes If you carry my name, then you can never really lose me We’re thin shadows, pinned to the ceiling of your room I hold my breath and know I don’t deserve you But I’ll stay thankful I’ll stay thankful I’ll never be this thankful ever again I’ll never let myself get over you I could go anywhere I could be anyone I could take anything But my legs don’t move, my heart can’t stray From the Leavitt street flat, where you sleep I can’t imagine how anything will ever be the same I’m sore, bruised and numb Some nights these halls reflect our light I can’t swallow the air, I can barely believe my eyes But it’s real and carrying me over these waves So I’ll sit tight and drift between these days I’ll slow down, wait for the warning shot from cover You never stir, but I guess you get that from your mother And I love her for that We’re thin shadows, cast across porchlights scenes If you carry my name, then you can never really lose me No, you’ll never lose me I’ll be singing you to sleep We’re thin shadows, pinned to the ceiling of your room I hear you breathe and know I don’t deserve you But I’ll stay thankful I’ll stay thankful I’ll never be this thankful ever again I’ll never let myself get over you
“You Look Like Halloween” You don’t smile anymore I think I wiped it it clean from your chin months ago Makes you want to bundle up on a couch alone Listen to the birds head south for winter Wishing they’d take you along for the ride You don’t smile anymore And I wish I wouldn’t keep my tongue so tied I used to recognize the way the sun dipped into the horizon Like it was crashing into our world, burning our insides I used dream of blue skies so clear we could write a future across their canvas And kick our shoes off into the air, God bless those innocent eyes I think they turned wrinkled and worn semesters ago I’m a chalk board showing last month’s scars and chores Chipping away at my soul, it’s exhausting I don’t know if I can claim to be young anymore I don’t know if I can claim to be young anymore And if I’m not am I worth anything? You sit thinking of how the future looms out our window pane How it taps the sill like the rattling of rain drops, keeping you awake I still pace for sanity, for clarity Take a stroll around the kitchen floor But you don’t smile anymore I think I wiped it it clean from your chin months ago Makes you want to bundle up on a couch alone Listen to the traffic of souls heading home Wishing they’d be your home and you’d be theirs You don’t smile anymore And I wish I wasn’t so Goddamn frayed You look like an October out in the rain You look like Halloween, a mask and a tired phrase I am the changing winds, that sweep through And pull you from the hem, pull your loose threads I wish I could hold you together But I’m barely here myself So I’ll trail along and wait for the calming leaves To fall over us like confetti To fall over us like we were kids with big dreams I want to be free, but I think I’ll take happy
Incredible Mountains - There's a piece of me That doesn't speak to the beacon That is gravity. A break in the atmosphere Some sort of curvy recognition To make sense of the fact That nothing in this world makes sense I am my fathers son; If the gods are fair then I am fucked Bleak recollection of memories I shared Where I was convenient for someone else A head can't live on a shelf And it's a far cry to say I don't try to be kindhearted Kept at a steady driven pace Will I ever stop falling off any dim lit path? It started as an escape, Now I'm left in a hazy tunnel vision Questioning every goddamn decision I make There's only one thing, there's only one thing In this world that I truly hate - An inability to escape from Feeling like I can't amount To these incredible mountains Always standing in front of me.
Inkless Pen / Empty Canvas - Cursed, To a life of dissonance As your red lipstick is placed Neatly back inside your purse A gift, a gift from the gods who center On thought left behind From those that have since left this side Of the grass we sit upon, a bed made To keep us clean, but we lie in dirty sheets Back to the drawing board with everything, Empty sky lines gasping for a fill again Repeating a cycle that begs for happiness And a sense of something more Current affairs are dragged into an idea But it was only an imagination Gold stretched across a perfect plain Idealism obstructing view of reality Because nothing will ever be as it was, Or as it should be. That should be okay Oh, it was never enough for a heart blessed With a curse of romanticizing every little regret Until it's found all over again, There will be nothing greater than The memory of the sun And the heaviness of the sea Waves diluting and crashing into The person he is and the person seen Drinking poison only to cough up Useless words that were never meant Such as the thought of being lonely When far from being alone Oh, they should've known It weighs heavy on the heart, A reaction of sorts To the world outside There's a pause, then there's a start Carried by hands of graceful friends And the light from your car window With all these pistons pounding Inside a better head, inside better men There's nothing left, but to hope To wait away the emptiness That was given to a young boy With no way to contain the flame, Marching along the best he can As if he's a person with a plan And a way out of this imaginary cage In resting days, there's only pacing When it's time to show his face, he hides away Attempts at capturing an essence of Something real, something vain Anything to bide the necessity of growing up And seeing more than a way to fixate On an idea, that will never be enough
The Year Everything Had to Stay the Same - I don't feel like talking, And I've already said too much I hope you feel it when we touch The lack of color connected to Veins invisible through blurry eyes I don't know if it ever did, But this just doesn't feel right As I feel my ocean escaping yours, I see you've found the answers That I can't seem to lead myself to It's a crushing, lonely defeat A shifting war that can't be won Settled on beat up thoughts Carrying me to an early grave, Some days I'd rather not be saved from My fight to give up and give way Into a bigger picture where the details Finally make sense, just keep me safe. My words often provoke thought Into hearts that can't handle it Would I be happier if I said something else? Would I be better if I were someone else? Talking so much of my head and that shelf, I wonder if it was made to be - Me and only me Inside a space that was meant to grow, But the heart inside just can't find a way As I depict such a grandeur onto your chest There's gotta be a timetable for going on like this Ticking clocks, syncing toward the sounds Of how much time I have left And I don't know how I got this far, But I'm sinking and miserable again Last year was a reflection of the past And a moment to finally start, Instead I took every inch and shredded it apart Only to continue this wishful thinking that, No matter what, I'll get through the hard parts A gamble on love, A shamble from above the clouds; Rain sends a message, but we hide indoors Standing next to an island with no chairs, Always remember that I cared.
How do you guys prep for NaNoWriMo? Do you just vomit words onto the screen or actually have some sort of outline? I kinda want to do it this year but I'm wondering how extensively you plan your story beforehand.
Never did NaNoWriMo, and I might try it this year, but here are some cool Medium articles I found on the subject. If you do it, best of luck!
Last year I only got 8,000 words in because I lost sight of where the plot was headed. This year, I've decided to write based on a story idea I had yeeeaaaaars ago but never did anything with. As I've allowed the idea to sit in my thoughts for the past few days, deeper plot ideas and character arcs have started popping into my heads. So I've been jotting those ideas down as they come to use as a general guideline when Nov 1 hits. No actually writing has been done yet, and everything could change, but at least I have a general idea of who my main characters are and where they're all headed in the "big picture."
By the way, here's my NaNoWriMo profile if anyone wants to add me as a writing buddy! http://nanowrimo.org/participants/oursbyaccident
I had this nice plan to spend the month plotting. I did fucking nothing. I'm off work for the next two days - that's what all of my time is going to after tonight, for sure. I'm going to get rekt. I'm sure of it.
DM me if you want to brainstorm! I'm not feeling too confident either but we can try to cheer each other on!
Shoot, I have an idea or two. Thinking of jotting a quick outline out on index cards and running with it but I've done nothing to prepare other than talk out loud about my ideas whenever I drive around.