I signed up for NaNoWriMo, or the National Novel Writing Month world wide event that kicks off 1 November. Get a 50,000 word novel written in 30 days. Sure, why not? It will be a bit of motivation. I plan on 2,000 words a day over 25 days with the last five for editing.

The novel is titled ‘Twenty Seven Seventy’ which is the postcode for the area I live in, one of Sydney’s toughest according to some. We have our share of dross, but also some good people and I plan to let the novel demonstrate that through looking at five main characters who are drawn together by a single event that changes all their lives. Lives that are pretty typical of the mix of people we have in this post code.

I haven’t done any fiction writing for a while, too flat out with paying stuff so it’s time to write a bit for myself. I have other projects I could apply to the event but I would rather start fresh on 1 November, and keep in the spirit of things. I’m not sure if you win anything other than being a part of a great literary event around the world and getting a novel written (hopefully).

I’ll keep you apprised and I hope I get some feedback from the organizers. I got nothing at all from that Writer’s Digest writing competition I entered a year ago, not even a sorry you didn’t place email. Paid my money but then heard no more which I think is what happens with most of these competitions. I might hold one of my own and see how much I can make in entry fees! The NaNoWriMo is free, by the way. You gotta love that.

While my other site, ‘The eWriter Project‘ is cleared of hackers and robots, I will post this here for now. I was involved in a thread on LinkedIn Group ‘The Freelance Writer’s Connection’ that devolved into discussing the need for a degree to get some online writing jobs. I am going to develop a qualification for eWriters because there isn’t one I can find so far, to date. Not only that, many experienced and talented writers, without degrees (as I was until 2009) or the wherewithal to get one are missing out on writing work because of this lack of a piece of paper. as highly as I rate my MA(Writing) as an achievement and know it has improved my writing considerably, I was still pretty good before that and made a living from my words nevertheless.

This will be another part of my ongoing mission in life, The eWriter Project. I think I can contribute to writing and writers by helping them use this amazing gift we have, the Internet, to improve their lives and add value to the lives of those who read what they write. I hold the alphabet, language (particularly my own, English language, a true world language) and the ability to communicate in so many ways in the esteem of gifts from the Gods, or God if that is your deity. Knowledge not shared, not put to some practical use, even if this turns out not to be a success, is wasted. I haven’t any time to waste. I will never forget I died in 2009 and came back from the brink and as Louis L’Amour said, we might not know the hour of our going, but we can do something about the way in which we go. And the way we live before that hour.