The Bedouin Way
The mobile working movement is alive and well, teeming with Bedouin-like workers who travel in single caravans (or sometimes ad-hoc nomadic tribes) from cafe to cafe carrying only cell phones and laptops, sated by comfy chairs, strong WiFi signals, and an endless stream of caffeine. 
Cafe writing, or the art of writing outside your home in a place devoid of things you obviously should be doing instead, can lead to good creative outflow. It can also lead to an extra 10 pounds in short order, but that relates to one’s inability to ignore the siren’s call of those nutritionally bankrupt, but incredibly tasty goodies that such places offer. Just remember that double chocolate muffin is harmless until you let it in. While resistance may be futile for an enemy of the Borg, it’s definitely critical for a Bedouinish writer.
I mention this now because NaNoWriMo is appearing like a distant mirage on the horizon, tempting us with shimmering promises of discovery. Last year I planned to start with a solid outline, but didn’t quite complete that effort, thus falling short of the challenge’s 50,000 words. This year I STILL plan to start flush with outline, AND I’m considering crafting (ha…) all 50,000 words the Bedouin Way. Why? Because I love the smell of fresh muffins in the morning? Or I enjoy torturing myself with plain coffee while the tart sitting next to me enjoys a fusion of coffee, fruit, and cream that equals my target calorie input for the ENTIRE DAY? Or is it because I’m basically masochistic when it comes to writing and I enjoy putting obstacles in the way of success? Even though the latter rings truest of all, going Bedouin is simply intriguing because it’s a gimmick, and in the midst of a NaNo writing crisis, a gimmick can mean the difference between a thousand and three thousand words…quality be damned, of course.
Stay tuned to discover if I am a successfully nomadic on my 50,000-word cafe pursuit. And while you’re waiting, check out what NaNoWriMo is all about and join the pain, er…fun. Really. It’s only painful if you read your NaNo novel a month later, or worse: let family and friends read your “effort.” You can’t get any more masochistic than that, no matter how ill-tempered that camel you ride from cafe to cafe.
2 Responses to “The Bedouin Way”
I’ve been considering doing NaNo again this year. I completed it in 2001, and haven’t managed it since.
That’s it. You’re posting enough that I have to add you to my Blogroll. You…were warned