Preparing for November

As the final day of October turns to night, I once again see that mark on the calendar, 1. 1 November. To many, it is just another day in the year, but it is something more than that. It marks the beginning of this year's 30 days of reckless, unpredictable, literary abandon. When the clock turns 12, the month begins and so too will my efforts to write another 50,000 words for National Novel Writing Month. This is my fourth year in the running and I am going for my fourth successful year, but it is not without its challenges. I find myself with far greater amounts of work and responsibility and even the lowly page a day that I have been writing since January 1, 2010 has become difficult. To my fellow writers, here's to another month of madness. To those of you who might happen across this and wonder what the hype is about, do yourself a favour and join in. What do you have to lose?