Between a blogging challenge, a novel-writing challenge, a professional writing group, and my weekly writing class, I feel a little bit stretched. I’m writing and writing and writing, and some of it is pretty darn good. Not all of it, mind you, but some, and sometimes that’s enough.

I’ve never attempted to write a novel before. It’s quite a challenge, and then when you put the 30 day timeframe on it, well, it’s nuts. I did set up a lot of it before I actually started writing on November 1, and that helped a great deal. I went in already having a good idea about several of my main characters, and the basic plot structure. I’ve been reading and learning about novel-writing, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I gravitate more naturally to the plot driven variety than the character driven. I find this revelation odd.

I’m generally not a big planner. My calendar often sits empty, not that I don’t have plans, but I don’t usually write them down. When I do plan ahead, say for instance I make out a grocery list, I’m just as likely to go in a different direction all together. Usually this is a result of leaving said list at home and promptly forgetting everything that was on it.

I tend to like to make things up as I go. Unless I’m putting together IKEA furniture. Then I want all the pieces laid out and I follow those directions step by step. I wish they had words. In English. I follow recipes too, at least the first several times I make something. After that I fly by the seat of my pants, and make adjustments as I see fit. I guess I’m not at that comfort level with novel-writing. Duh.

Now my only concern is having enough words to meet all of those writing commitments and challenges. I have a feeling that I’ll find them, or they will find me.