Nano Prep work

I was planning on posting my author's note for New Beginnings, but I just don't feel like it. Lame? Very, but today was apparently Nano prep day so what better day than to ramble on about my plans this year for NaNoWriMo.

I like NaNoWriMo. it's a fun time to be a writer and considering how much more involved I am with the online writing community this year should be Awesome.

So what are my plans. I don't know, the funny thing is that I generally start planning for Nano in like April. this year was different. I would think about Nano and then I would think well maybe but maybe not. projects have been hard for me this year. I think I am at a place in my "career" (if you can call it that) where I seem to go from this is the most awesome thing ever to I am the stupidest person alive to think I can do this.

So suddenly october is half over and I have no sweet clue what to write about! here are some of my plans but I can't decide what to do. the first thing is that I am not interested in starting a new project. I have too many projects that need help to drop them and focus on something new, or rather a a single new novel idea.

1. Re work/write/perform a transmutation the project that was called the Utopian chronicals now maybe called the Sheol tales, orignial book concept called the Rescue. This is the book I pitched on the Roundtable Podcast. the result of which made me stop and rethink the whole project, not a big deal since it was in a reconcept stage anyway.
Cons: my thoughts on this piece are now jumbled, they've been jumbled for months. I started a new file with a new start and it is not a bit overwhelming.
Pros: Nanowrimo would be a perfect time to sit back and untangle the wild knot that has been turning and twisting and mocking me . I have a lot of good ideas for how this can be worked out and lots of things to try so word count shouldn't be a problem.

2.write more short stories taking place in heimr each averaging out to about 5-7,000 words each, this would be between 7 and 10 short stories.
Cons: I'm not very good at writing short stories I lean more towards the epic. Again a bit overwhelming. It will require a lot of new ideas.
Pros: I won't be in my current position where I don't have a short story to start up. It would be a good exercise and might train my writing muscles better. there is a curtain appeal, I mean Jonathan Coulton did his one new song a week for a year and Scott Sigler did the same thing with Short stories so there is a good president for it.

3. Finish Ashes and Snowflakes- my (probably YA *grumble grumble) Urban Fantasy, a side story to a series I have in mind.
Con: I may finish the story long before 50,000 words- all I have left to write is the third act.
Pros: It is outlined, the first ten pages have been to a beta reader. it will be easy to finish I just need to do it.

4. Screw the finishing a novel bit and just go for writing 50,000 words.
Cons: Ignores the reason I like Nanowrimo which is that it causes me to focus on something.  namby pamby way out. No real accomplishment- okay 50,000 words in a month is an accomplishment but at the end it could end up looking more like something that came out of the City of Old Emperors then something of worth.
Pros: Don't have to split my focus. I can finish Ashes and Snowflakes and not worry about what happens if I finish that before 50,000 new words. I can sort through the tangled mess that is Sheol tales, and write a couple of short stories.

Does it seem to you that most my Cons are also Pros? I need help! Please dear readers help me figure out what to do this year I'm begging you!

till next time God Speed and Open Roads