It’s five days until National Novel Writing Month begins. Most of you know about the phenomenon that is NaNoWriMo. Many of you have participated. And, most of you know that the NaNoWriMo model has been adopted and adapted by academics who were trying to get a big piece of writing done — not a novel but a dissertation or academic book. (What the Hell is Wrong with You? is promising a revival of the InaDWriMo: International Dissertation Writing Month.)

I’m launching my own version of NaNoWriMo: National [Book] Revisions Writing Month. My loyal readers will recall that at the end of the summer I was asked by the university press editor to make revisions based on readers’ reports and resubmit the manuscript. (The whole mess is recounted here.) Well, several months have passed during which I’ve done next to nothing. I have had, admittedly, a few other responsibilities to attend to, what with the teaching and the service and all. But, I also admit that there has been some serious procrastination and avoidance at work. I have a deeply antagonistic relationship with my book; it has been the source of a great deal of suffering over many years. I really, really, really want it to be done and over, and for the fabulous Post Book part of my life to start. Is it any wonder, then, that I can barely bring myself to think about the manuscript one more time?

So, in an effort to jump start my revision process, I am setting writing goals for the month of November, hoping that the sense of camraderie elicited by the NaNoWriMo community will help me get some substantial work done.

Conventionally, one evaluates one’s NaNoWriMo accomplishments through number of words written. But, because I am revising rather than composing, that measure isn’t going to work for me. Instead, I am going to set some time goals — hours spent working on the book per week — and see if that is an adequate encouragement.

My goal is, starting Nov. 1: 12 hours a week. That works out to approximately 2 hours a day with one day off. It seems like such a small amount! I feel almost chagrined, like I’m not setting ambitious enough goals. But, I also know my own insane schedule and realize that 12 hours a week is 12 hours more than I’ve done in three months. So, onward with the NaRevWriMo!

Please feel free to join me if you too have a major academic project that you’ve been avoiding!