Blogging NaNoWriteMo
My method creates a disadvantage when faced with the contest rules: I do first draft freehand before typing in what I've written (or, an edited-on-the-spot version of what I've written).
This has nothing to do with purity. It's just what works for me. Sitting down with a Word file, for whatever reason, fails to tap the create-from-nothing parts of my brain. I can edit what came before. In fact, that's a good way to the motor running. But in my case, at least, writing with a pen on a legal pad connects me to entirely different pathways and, if I can find flow, a more productive mindset.
Analyzing why this happens has yet to yield any insights. One factor, though, is that writing by hand forces me to (1) move at a slower, steadier pace and (2) keep me on point. That said, the Writer Brain simply seems to prefer by hand while Editor Brain, or more accurately Rewriter Brain, works better with typing and seeing the words in print.
Anyway, I'm not hitting 50,000 words by the end of November. But 20 or 25K is possible, and by that word count, the characters and conflicts and plot have a good foundation for the middle of the story.
