Welcome!

This will be the only entry that isn't under lock and key ;)


What is this journal all about, I hear you ask?

Well, I am competing in the NaNoWriMo challenge, which stands simply for InterNational Novel Writing Month. We begin writing November 1, and the goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. When I first started participating in this in 2004 I had my Year12 final exams during this time, but I said oh well - I love writing too much to pass up on this opportunity, and I can't be studying all the time, now can I? ;) It'll be something fun I can escape too. And I've stuck in it since then. In 2005 I had my final assignments due for my Government traineeship in Cert III Business and IT Management, and then last year I was in Fiji for a wedding for the start of November, and then in Sydney, Australia for the end of it. Now this year I have my final assignments due for my Cert IV in Business - it seems like something always tries to get in the way of NaNo, but I haven't failed the challenge yet ;) So you really have no excuse :p Everyone always has something major on during NaNo time, so stop making excuses and join me!


In my first year I hit 50,136 words just before midnight, and in 2005 I hit an awesome (I'm so modest :P) 104,457 words quit a few days before NaNo ended, I think I ended up with 111,000 words or something by the 30th, can't quite remember ^^ Last year I managed 125,500 words. This year I'm going for 150,000 but I'll be very happy with the normal 50,000 ;D


You can see my old NaNo journals over at nanokeladryie04, nanokeladryie05 and nanokeladryie06 ^^


I've been a long time writer, I'm 21 now and I've been writing almost daily since Grade 7, from novels to fanfics to short stories to poetry, sometimes even to essays, and definitely journal entries. I work for the Northern Territory Australian Government (which gives me a lot of time to write at work :p harrr, I kid ^^;) I'm Headmistress at a writing challenge site called Fiction[NET] and I also run 20chapters which is a novel writing challenge and which I really suggest you join :) I'm also addicted to claims challenges, you can see all my claims and the writings I've done for them so far over at my claims journal acorns_and_inks


I really suggest you join NaNoWriMo, if you have the time :p People all around the world are taking part, and even if you don't think you are good enough, or that there's no way you could ever write that much, remember that we're all aiming for quantity, not quality, and that we're trying to lower our expectations, take risks, write on the fly and to forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. This is simply to get all those words, thoughts and ideas finally out on paper instead of hesitating, worried about whatever. This is to build without tearing down - that comes later :p It's a great experience, and in the forums there are endless thousands who are ready and willing to take your 'no talent' and turn you into producing work you'll be proud of.


Please consider joining, and thank you for reading :)