It’s Muskoka Novel Marathon Sign-up Day! Stressful? Yes! Worthwhile? Absolutely!

(SPOILER UPDATE: just found out I made the 40 writer cut off!)

This will be my 3rd year signing up for the Muskoka Novel Marathon – and the competition to be among the 40 writers is fierce. I am traveling this week, and so when 7:00 pm Muskoka time hits (that’ll be 5:00 in Denver – or just 18 minutes from this moment), I need to be glued to my computer, refreshing their site, fingers crossed for no wifi weirdness, until the magic button appears and I can register.

If you have never attended a novel marathon, you’d be in the majority, and while some writers might assume that nothing good can come of writing like you’re running desperately from a pack of starved wildebeests snapping at your heels (that’s how I picture the ticking clock as the 72-hour writing marathon ticks down), you’d be wrong. Here’s what’s so great about a writing marathon:

In 3 days (or 72 hours) at the Muskoka Novel Marathon, I’ve somehow written 110 pages (2013) and 77 pages (2014). In the Real World, It’s taken me 3-6 months to double those lengths. Kind of unbelievable. I mean, I could strap myself to my desk, and in fact, this year has been a writing sabbatical for me, where I took a break from teaching and alarm clocks (and paycheques too!) and still, the magical alchemy of writing amongst a group of driven writers, where all of your physical needs are met in a retreat setting that is impossible to beat AND all that plus raising funds for the worthiest of causes – ADULT LITERACY – over 72 frenetic hours where you pretty much NEVER leave your story long enough to lose the thread or the thrust is not to be underestimated.

And did I mention, last year I WON THE MANUSCRIPT COMPETITION!

www.muskokanovelmarathon.com – check out their website. They do amazing things.

Ok – ten minutes left. I’ll report back – fingers crossed.