NaNoWriMo – enigmatic, intriguing, slightly comedic, slightly occult. Not and acronym but not really an abbreviation – is it even a word?

NaNoWriMo, standing for National Novel Writing Month, is on a need-to-know basis. If you’re not a writer, aren’t compelled by the idea of pushing yourself, aren’t curious to attempt the impossible, don’t know the meaning of boldly going where no one has gone before, then you don’t need to know about NaNoWriMo.

30 days – 50,000 words. I am crazy intrigued by the idea. I have signed up, invented a title, and designed a cover. I even have the first sentence, though that might be a little bit of a cheat since the writing isn’t supposed to begin until November 1. But I couldn’t resist. I’ll save the rest for Sunday, I promise. Until then, I’ll have to content myself with plot and scene dancing in my mind like naughty fairies.

What’s different about writing for NaNoWriMo? Well, practically everything. There are no rules, no standard procedures. I can be liberal imaginative delving risky sweet sentimental ugly reflective nuts. I don’t even need an ending.

I can have superheroes, demons, computer geeks, and a mysterious old woman. Or witches, vampires and a banshee or two. Old relatives and strangers; creatures from both the black and blue lagoons; forensics specialists and butchers; sunrise sunset death and birth. I may name a disease after an ex-husband or fly to the top of an avocado tree to pick the best fruit; live my dreams and rewrite history or kill the man who raped me when I was 16; I can tell toilet jokes, create funny typos and mystic runes. I can say fuck. Or not.

CatWoman – a Journey:

Lor McFarlaine inherited $50,000,000 from a wild-man uncle the same day she was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. Taking what’s left of her life in a new direction, she sets about to right some wrongs, get some vengeance, and generally kick ass. With the help of a charmed personal assistant, a teen computer geek, an elderly Mr. Fix-it, and a smart car whose super power is the ability to park anywhere, she becomes the person she’s always wanted to be – CatWoman.

We will save all the cats.