So, yeah, I know NaNoWriMo started a week ago.  I honestly meant to start a blog about writing my novel In Spirit the day I started, but I got distracted by the actual writing of the story.

It's been a really long time since I've written a novel, like...eight months since I've attempted my last one.  In the past, whenever I tried to write any sort of long work, I stopped after chapter two.   Always, I lost interest in the story or convinced myself that everything about the plot and characters was totally stupid, and that no one would want to read it.

Coincidentally, I came up with my current novel idea about a week before NaNo started, because of a very odd and creepy dream I had (you know, one of those ones that creep you out, but then five minutes later you realize it has the potential to be a good story).  That morning, I happened to be traveling via bus and train back to campus from home, so I had plenty of time to just sit  (or stand holding on to a subway pole for dear life) and contemplate the details of character and plot.  In the end, it's turning out to be much different from my dream but that doesn't matter.  After eight months of mental block, I finally had a good story.

Then along comes NaNoWriMo.  For sure, I would have given up on my idea by now if I wasn't determined to reach 50K.  After about two chapters I began questioning everything - was my plot too cliche?  Am I focusing on the wrong character?  Should my main character be a girl ghost instead of a guy ghost?  But whenever I questioned something, I answered it with "But you have to reach 50K in 30 days," and that was the end of that.  There was no time for complete revision, and i think that's what is saving my novel from collecting dust in my hard drive.