ninjas and nano

So NaNoWriMo's coming up. Surprised? Caught you unawares, have I? Surely not! Although, if you're sort of clueless, like I am most of the time, maybe it has snuck up on you. Last year was the first time I actually really participated from start to finish. Every year prior to that, I was like, "Huh? What is this Na-No of which you speak?"

But here's the deal: National Novel Writing Month is wicked awesome. It's the whole reason the dojo exists or #ninjachat or #ninowrimo. Because I want national novel month to be every month, all year long. For realz!

I love writing a novel with super fast break-neck speed. Your head stays in the story, your characters are always talking to you, and the second you sit down to write, the words FLY. No reading back through the story to remind yourself where you are. No meditating or doing little character convos to get familiar with them again. You sit, and your characters TALK. It's unbelievably cool.

Obviously, then, I am doing NaNo. How could I not? It's like the sensei to Ninja Novel Writing Month, I owe it the honor of participating. :) I am a tiny bit terrified--November is a wicked busy month for me. I've got blog tours and interviews and guests posts and oh yeah--a BOOK COMING OUT!!!! I've also got a writers retreat (I'm kind of on the fence as to how much writing I'll actually get done there, lol!), a karate tournament, a weekend away with a friend and oh yeah--Thanksgiving.

But I laugh in the face of these roadblocks to words. I welcome the challenge they present me! Bring. It. On.

So. Will you be NaNo-ing this year? If you are, be sure to add me "alicross" to your friend list. Let's do what ninjas do best--cheer each other on to greater and greater skill and accomplishment. We are ninjas. We can do this!

Be sure to grab this fun NaNo calendar ninja Amy McBay made for us!

P.S. Please come follow (if you don't already) the Dark C.A.R.M.A. blog and enter to win *awesome* prizes! I've got TEN signed books up for grabs!