Helping with Nano 2009
Ok, this week’s word is none of the above, but these do all describe the participants in National Novel Writing Month (November) which is starting its tenth year of activity in two week’s time for more than 150,000 aspiring novellists. I’ll be among them for the third year and this year I will be trying to organise the scribes in Ireland NorthEast as I’m volunteering as a municipal liaison. The National part of the title isn’t strictly accurate these days. Participants are spread right across the globe and languages other than English are catered for. We already have more than 1,000 writers in Ireland registered and ready to go.
There’s just one snag – I can’t decide which novel to start (my books tend to finish at the 100,000 word mark so Nano will get me halfway on a first draft). Do I go with a humourous tale of demented housewives on the edge, a more serious multi-viewpoint novel about a disparate group of people living in the west of Ireland, or a two-hander about a couple of reluctant parents? Or something else entirely? All I know is that I have to decide soon so suggestions are welcome! Either way, my November writing time may well be limited so don’t be surprised if this blog lapses until early December except for updates on my NaNoWriMo progress.
In the meantime if you’ve ever thought “I’d love to write a book someday”, now is your chance. Participation is free and there is major fun to be had along the way. Check out the site and see what you can do with just 1800 words a day.
Now, the actual word for today is termagant which a friend recently (incorrectly) described herself as. Word a Day says this is a shrewish woman and that’s what she meant. I’d never heard it before, had you? Apparently it’s one of those words which is confused from birth. Europeans mistakenly thought it was a deity worshiped by Muslims. It came to be seen as any brawling, difficult character in morality plays and gradually came to be associated only with females, for some reason which escapes me (probably because I’m a female). It occurs to me that it could be a useful species of invective against anybody in your life who is irritating you but who is unlikely to go and look it up after you apply it to them, in the sweetest of tones.
I’m just waiting for a chance to use it now…
Happy writing and reading,
Grace
ps. for those of you interested in the Big Knit hats – I managed 14 in the end.
Wordfoolery 