NaNovember starts in less than a week, and so far my prep has consisted of the following:

• thinking I could write a companion to High School Soap Opera called High School Comic Book, with completely new characters
• thinking it might be about time to really write The Story of Disco World, an idea that goes back to NaNo 2009 that I have tried twice
• creating a NaNo Soundtrack for myself, with general songs plus inspiration songs from each year (except 2013, because I can’t find record of any songs that inspired my writing for High School Soap Opera)
• skimming through what I wrote for TSoDW in the past, and thinking some is okay and some is bad but I should probably start over completely
• visiting the NaNo forums, but not as much as I used to
• thinking it might be about time to really write Escape From Candy Land (working title), which I started in 2013 and probably need to come up with totally new plot ideas because what I had was dumb and wasn’t even 1000 words
• skimming through the words I have written for Escape from Candy Land in the past, and thinking knowing it totally sucks
• thinking I really should post in my blog more… and here I am

Yesterday my brother asked me on Facebook if I have been outlining or brainstorming. I said:

Here’s what I do. I spend the last week or so of October planning, then November comes and I change my idea. So I haven’t done any hardcore planning that I would just be throwing out, no.

That’s pretty accurate. In fact, the last year I participated/won was 2013 and that whole novel came about after I did some freewriting with a thought I had several years ago and wrote down in a writing notebook I have. I actually think that is the best novel I’ve written – I’m definitely improving with each one.

So what am I going to write this year? I have no idea. And if I did have an idea, I would change it next week anyway. I may pick up with one of my previous attempts, or I may write something completely new. I only work on 13 days in November, so hopefully my daughter won’t get in the way too much. I actually write best late at night, which would be after she goes to bed so I think I’ll be okay.