My leap into Nanowrimo

     I have known about Nanowrimo for several years now.  I have NEVER considered it, I am not a very creative writer and I have no original ideas, so I was sure there would be no way I could write a fifty thousand word novel.  About two months ago, in September I decided to give creative writing a try.  I have a regular yearning to do something creative, and generally it is crafting, but it's not always feasible, and well the monetary cost/benefit is not always very great.  So, I decided to look into creative writing because I thought that it was free to do, and then if I get no return, then I have nothing lost. 
    In mid October I began to see the inevitable mentions of Nanowrimo on Facebook and in various places, so I thought I would just play around their site, and see more about what they were about.  About the same day as I thought I would look around, I thought up a great idea, that would absolutely work for me.  I began to look at the Nano forums in earnest to see if perhaps this was something I could pull off. 
    I found a workbook that broke down the entire process of how to start a novel.  It is designed for high school kids, but I didn't mind at all.  I have never written anything like this, and the more basic the explanation the better for me.   
    I spent the rest of October getting everything ready.  I filled out character questionnaires and developed a fairly detailed outline.  I am pretty certain that there is no way I would have been able to write that book without an outline.  I just do not have the creative juices that would allow for me to flow through 50K worth of words, without some structure. 
    On November 1st, in the morning I began to write, and I continued to write everyday since.
    I will write more about Nanowrimo and my specific book in later entries.   I wanted to get this first post out, so that I can focus on specifics from here on out.