NaNoWriMo: How Foolish Are You?

Old Japanese Proverb

He who attempts NaNoWriMo once is a wise man.

He who attempts it twice is a fool.

How foolish are you?

This is a problem that can easily be solved with a little pseudo-mathmatical formula.

DISTANCE x TIME = NUMERICAL FOOLISHNESS VALUE

Let's start with DISTANCE:

Mount Fuji is 3,776 (meters high)

To climb it twice would take it to 3,776 x 2 = 7,552

A NaNoWriMo novel is 50,000 (words long)

To attempt it twice would take it to 100,000

100,000 ÷ 7,552 = 13.24

This means it is 13.24 times more foolish to attempt NaNoWriMo than it is to climb Mount Fuji.

But how about you? It is important to include the number of additional attempts YOU have made into the equation. For example is you have 2 additional attempts (including the present one) multiply 13.24 by the power of two.

13.24² = 175.337995

It does not end there. We have to bring TIME into the equation. It takes about 8 hours to climb Mount Fuji as opposed to 24 (hours a day--yes, ask any writer, it does occupy that amount of time!) multiplied by 30 (days in November)

Let's put a numerical value on the TIME you have to put into your writing.

24 (hours in a day) x (30 days x 4 attempts) (actual writing time) = 2,880

2,880 - 16 (actual climbing time) = 2,864

DISTANCE x TIME = NUMERICAL FOOLISHNESS VALUE

175.337995 x 2,864 = 502,168.003

SO THERE IT IS. THE PROOF THAT I AM 502,168.003 TIMES THE FOOL FOR ATTEMPTING NANOWRIMO FOR THE FOURTH TIME!

What is your Numerical Foolishness Value???

Note: I make no claims to being a mathematician. This is just a bit of fun. If you can come up with a better one, I challenge you!

On Inspiration

On Inspiration

By

Mark Lee Pearson

On New Years' Day, Hideki dreamed he was standing at the summit of Mount Fuji looking out across the Japanese landscape. He woke up and called his friend, Kimiko.

"I've just been inspired," he said. "Let's climb Mount Fuji this summer."
"Sure," said Kimiko.


Kimiko set about preparing for the climb. She bought a new pair of boots and wore them in. She trained every day. She even joined a hiking club and climbed the low mountains in her district to get herself ready for the big climb.


While Kimiko perspired, Hideki spent the time trying to recapture the moment he had dreamed. He surfed the internet looking for images of Mount Fuji. He drew sketches in his pad. He bought a book about the 100 most famous views. He rode past it on the shinkansen to take in its beauty. He even wrote a haiku.


View from Mount Fuji
Sprawling colors vivid shades
Summer vibrancy


When the day finally arrived Kimiko turned up prepared for the climb. In her pack she had warm clothes, food, and plenty to drink.


Hideki brought his camera, a sketch pad, and a little Japanese flag he intended to have his picture taken with at the summit.


"Race you to the top," he said.


Of course she beat him. Hideki didn't get past the sixth station before he collapsed, out of breath and physically exhausted.


At the summit of Mount Fuji, Kimiko observed the view. She thought it was quite nice. There she met a backpacker from Australia called Alan. He was very nice. He invited her to Nepal with him the following summer. Of course, she went.


She sent Hideki a postcard from the base camp at Mount Everest. On it she wrote a haiku. It said, 


Mountains we may climb,
But dreamy wings fly us not,
To the snowy peaks.