Sights for Sore Eyes *Part One*

After slamming a gazillion words into my WIP the last few weeks (okay not a gazillion, but geez, it felt like it) I realized I couldn't see straight. So I took a trip up to Jackson, a quiet old-fashioned town nestled in the Sierra Nevada's, where the air smelled like pine and snow and Christmas and I let all my Nano worries fall to the mountain floor.

I found the 1897 Train Station up there, which still runs train rides during the day and a few Santa filled ones at night. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of my train, but I did manage to snap a pic of the steam train from the Back to the Future III film.



It makes its home there along with a few other steamers that are just too cool not to ghost your hands along. The three mile long trip snaked through mountain passes, between towering pines and chugged along open valley flats. The views were so beautiful...





There was even a violinist on board, serenading the passengers. He was AWESOME.



He swore he could play any Christmas song requested from memory with either his violin, the banjo strapped to his back or the harmonica in his pocket. I rattled off a few tunes, trying to get him to trip up, but he knew them all. Let me tell you, he Rocked the train and Made the trip. I wish I'd gotten video of him playing on the train, but when I got home I youtube'd him and found this:


*If you have a few minutes and appreciate blue grass, give it a look. In between the random talk, there's bouts of musical genius.

On the way back, I wandered around the train grounds a little...okay a lot...and found this sun-kissed spot...



I wish I'd brought my notebook or a better camera. This was taken with my phone and did not do nature justice. It was a beautifully chill night with the promise of snow in the air. Frosted grass crunched beneath my feet. The water was still, the thoughts flowing. But I had to move on. It was too damn cold to stay for long.

After leaving Jamestown I headed east and dropped down into Sonora. I stopped at Dorthea's Christmas Shoppe, a quaint little place just outside of town. Dorthea's has the most unique Christmas decorations EVER. You know, the handmade ones you can't find at Target or Walmart or any other big chain. I get a few ornaments there every year so that no two ornaments on our tree are the same. Makes for interesting Christmas Day talk about who likes which best, what year we bought it, how old the kids were, etc, etc. Here's the two I bought this year:



*Once again, the pictures don't do them justice. They'll sparkle right up with the Christmas lights.

On my way out of town, trying to beat the sunset, I saw this...



...and had to stop to take it all in. That tree is as red as the church.

Gorgeous.

Natural storyteller, I was not

One of the most asked questions of a writer is "When did you first know you wanted to be a one?" For the longest time, my answer made me feel a little embarrassed. I didn't know I wanted to write until a few years ago. I didn't write as a child...at least not anything anyone thought was good. I wrote the typical short story project in high school and it was easy to write, but somehow didn't measure up to my standards. I got good grades, but my friends' stories were so much stronger. I wrote many things for my English classes in college...but my stories were often dry and flat.

So when a story struck me two years ago, I seriously thought I'd be crazy to write it down. Now that I've written four books in those two years, and have managed to pump up the story lines while finding my voice, I realized I've been a storyteller all along.

No, I've never published in journals or anthologies or have stacks of childhood journals stocked away.


I played Barbies. And I played hardcore; all hours of the night, long after my friends were tired of the same ole story lines. Barbie play always started the same--at least in my world. Barbie had an awesome life with an awesome two-story house and an awesome pink convertible (who could ask for more???)...but something was missing. Her other-half (whom was never named Ken, fyi) would come around either as a gardener, new neighbor, cabin checker on the Barbie Cruise, etc, etc, corny etc.



They'd fall in love at first sight. They'd be swept away into dances, dates, dinners, first handholds, first kisses, marriage and children. I'd create their happily ever after, just to sit back and smile...then do it all over again the next night.

I was seriously addicted to Barbies until an embarrassing age. Ask my friends. Okay don't.


Looking back at those stories I created, I don't think it's such a stretch that I've become a writer. I simply didn't have the tools at the time (or the confidence) to put the words to paper.

And now as I sit back and watch my daughter LOVE Barbies, I can't help but smile.


Not all story tellers start the same. Not everyone's journey leads them from logical point A to logical point B. Sometimes the greatest stories are developed between two friends dressing up Barbie for the ball well past midnight.

Tuns out I was a story teller all along...just not the "typical". What about you? When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? Was it something you always knew? Or was it something you recently discovered?

Beginnings

Hook the reader from the first page, first paragraph, first line.

Catch an agent's attention from the get-go--they don't have time to read until the action pics up after chapter five.

Everyone knows you have to SMASH your beginning. You should start out with a scene that evokes emotion, shows not tells the important traits of your main characters, and sets up the conflict for the rest of your book. But you also have to start with a scene that is true to the rest of your story. You should clue the reader in as to what kind of a story they're going to be reading.

Personally, I like dark romances with super-protective alpha males who aren't afraid to fight for what they want and paranormal creatures who feel real...but I still have to be able to sleep at night without thinking I'm being stalked by something that could actually be lurking in the shadows behind my door. Know what I mean? (I want to be swept away to another world when I bend back the binding, not living in my own with creepy creatures.) If I open a book in a bookstore and skim the first few pages yet read nothing about a vampire, shapeshifter, or some kick-ass magic wielded by some kick-ass hero or heroine, I'm going to pick up another book and try again.

Yesterday someone asked me, "How did you know where to start your book?"

I said, "Start from the moment your hero or heroine's life changes. Throw in some major conflict, possibly introduce them (and me as the reader) to the other leads in the story. And let the reader know what style of story (and style of writing) they can expect from the rest of your book."

The person said, "I have this idea...(then went into the idea which I'm not about to share here *wink), and the beginning is rock solid. After that, though, they have to go on this journey (think Lord of the Rings without the focus), and then the action picks up again later...about a third of the way through."

Let me say, firstly, that I'm one opinion...and I'm not even published yet so I don't know how much my opinion counts anyway. Secondly, I think their idea was good. They could easily start at the third point in the book, when the characters are flush into the action, and weave backstory in as they go. Their book wouldn't feel like a let down. (Meaning: If I started a book with a kick-ass action scene teeming with conflict, that's what I'd expect all the way through. If I came to a hundred page hiatus with nothing but a single character's journey, I'd probably put down the book and push it aside.)

So YES beginnings have to be good. YES, beginnings are important. YES, you should spend time crafting your beginning so that you can catch the attention of that coveted agent, then that coveted editor.

But this is true for the rest of your story. You should put just as much time into the last two-thirds of your book as you did making the first-third shine.

Now I have to put my own words to use. I'm working on the last 20K of Immortal, Beloved right now. The climax is approaching. All my characters are joining together to fight the impending evil. Oh, I'm excited. Someone's going to try to unleash creatures from hell...and he's going to succeed to a certain degree...but my characters will put up one hell of a fight. Some will die. Some will live. All will love.

Today, put your beginning aside. Stop mashing it up. Take a look at your middle and grow from there.

Give Thanks

I'm thankful for many things this season...starting of course with family and friends.

This week my husband (or SuperHusband as I call him now) mopped the kitchen, vacuumed the living room, watched the kids, did laundry (oh my stars), and even cooked a meal or two while I typed away. (Hey, ramen and mac 'n cheese are meals as long as I'm not the one hovering over the stove!) I imagine that it could be hard for a significant other to understand the desire to write...sitting at the keyboard for hours a day, crafting a story that Just. Won't. Let. You. Quit. I imagine that a significant other could get angry that a writer makes little or no money and writes because they can't imagine ever stopping. But SuperHusband was been understanding and sympathetic and has even picked a rose or two for me to dote over while I write.

SuperThankful for SuperHusband and our SuperMunchkins.

I'm thankful for critique partners who steer my poor, misguided manuscript to stormier waters. I like stormy seas...they're much more fun to sail than a flat calm and doldrums just plain suck. Likewise, my story needs a little wind, a little wave, a little conflict. Nobody likes a sagging middle. When I feel like I'm sailing off course, I hand over my manuscript to one of my wonderful readers and they send it back, tweaking the mast, changing course a bit, and even throw in some obstacles that I hadn't thought about when I planned my trip...like what role a particular magical piece of jewelry was going to play until a main character asked about it. Yeah. It got that bad for a bit. (But don't worry poor little misguided manuscript, you're all better now.)

I'm thankful for all the people who've emailed or tweeted or facebook DM'd me saying they want to buy a copy of Dark Tide Rising come February 2. And most of you aren't family or friends! That's fantastic and I'm beyond flattered.

I'm thankful for my agent at Spencerhill Associates and my editor at The Wild Rose Press. It's such a wonderful feeling to know that there are people who believe in my work and the world that I've created so much so that they're investing their own time and energy to see it come to life. I'm eternally grateful.

I am, as always, thankful for the little things life has to offer. The breeze brushing through the olive trees in front of my window. The fallen leaf bumbling along the street. My new puppy who is at this *very* moment chomping on my right slipper...it's still on my foot, fyi. I'm thankful for the surprise smile, the light in my munchkins eyes, the "I'm proud of you" hug from my parents.

I'm thankful for it all.

Happy early Thanksgiving everyone.

It's official

FYI (in case you didn't know), five thousand words is a lot for a single day.

I managed four thousand yesterday and another thousand this morning, so I reached 70K...which means my Golden Heart entry is going out ASAP.

Fly, little birdie, fly!

I'm burnt out on writing, as you can imagine (15K in a week plus editing is a lot...too much in my opinion)...so I'm signing off for Thanksgiving.

Oh, and a little someone we adopted wants to say hi...



Ain't he cute?

Silent Sunday

I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all. ~Richard Wright, American Hunger, 1977




*I'm on a mission to hurl at least 5000 words at the WIP today. I'll be up all hours of the night. Wish me luck.

Update

I've been writing like a madwoman this week. Husband has been uber supportive, leaving me alone, kid-free (gasp!) to write my brains out. Wednesday I put myself under a harsh deadline: 15K words by Monday. The reason for such insanity, you might ask? Because I need to mail out my "completed" book to RWA's Golden Heart contest by then.

It should be doable. 15K words in six days boils down to about 2500 words a day. Surprisingly, I think I'm going to finish ahead of schedule. Thursday I wrote 4500 words. Yesterday I wrote 3000. They're rushed and new and scattered, but they're there.

I think I may end up being an inadvertent Nano winner this year. After our Disneyland trip (where I didn't write a lick but had oh so much fun) I realized I wasn't going to finish Nano. You can't really expect to skip four days and still hit the 50K word mark...but if I keep up the grueling pace I just might do it!

So if you don't hear from me today, tomorrow or Monday, you'll know why. I'm under deadline! Go, you crazy Nanoers out there, Go! I'm right there with you!

Walking Water

Hubby and I celebrated our 12 year dating anniversary this weekend. Yes, we're dorky enough to celebrate both the day we started dating and the day we said "I do". Our wedding anniversary is in June...a looong five months away from our dating anniversary, so I figure why not celebrate both? Is it greedy to ask The Husband to remember not one, but two, dates out of the year? I don't think so. Is it selfish to want roses on two occasions? Maybe. But is it a bad idea? Nope, no way.

When I read this poem from Terresa Wellborn of The Chocolate Chip Waffle blog, it instantly reminded me of The Husband and I and the road of our perfectly imperfect marriage. Not to mention the combination of words are simply brilliant. Try reading it aloud. It flows off the tongue like melted chocolate. And if you really want chills, whisper it.

Walking Water

I married
a vision of us, mirrored,
graced with trust,
hearts compassed against eternity
as time rose to meet us.

You are water,
I am land,
and I have become pharisaical,
loving lampless,
counting offense in silted steps,
each word a watermark wrung wet.

Mirrors have nothing to do with us,
only locketed light,
footpaths trod not to temple
but withered hand.

I am learning to rudder the good night
on waves of wheat-backed gold,
place manna in open mouths,
defy land and
walk water.

--Terresa Wellborn © 2010 by Terresa Wellborn. All rights reserved.
--This is part of Magpie Tales 37.


Write something inspirational today. Tell your significant other you love them. Hold them tight. That is all.

A difficult topic--Suicide

Today's blog post is taking a somber turn. A childhood friend of my husband's took her own life this weekend. We just found out yesterday. Everyone we know, everyone who knew her, is in a tailspin. It's so hard to believe that someone so full of life could be gone...just like that.

Though I don't know the ins and outs or the whys of her situation, the SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) research states that depression is the strongest risk factor for suicide and although we don't hear about it much, suicide takes the lives of nearly 30,000 Americans every year. Many who attempt suicide never seek professional care, yet 80% of people who actually seek treatment for depression are treated successfully.

Now more than ever it's important to know the symptoms and danger signs of someone who is contemplating suicide. Please educate yourself so you can possibly save a loved ones life.

Warning Signs of Suicide
•Ideation (thinking, talking or wishing about suicide)
•Substance use or abuse (increased use or change in substance)
•Purposelessness (no sense of purpose or belonging)
•Anger
•Trapped (feeling like there is no way out)
•Hopelessness (there is nothing to live for, no hope or optimism)
•Withdrawal (from family, friends, work, school, activities, hobbies)
•Anxiety (restlessness, irritability, agitation)
•Recklessness (high risk-taking behavior)
•Mood disturbance (dramatic changes in mood)

Additional Warning Signs of Suicide
•Talking about suicide.
•Looking for ways to die (internet searches for how to commit suicide, looking for guns, pills, etc.)
•Statements about hopelessness, helplessness, or worthlessness.
•Preoccupation with death.
•Suddenly happier, calmer.
•Loss of interest in things one cares about.
•Visiting or calling people one cares about.
•Making arrangements; setting one's affairs in order.
•Giving things away, such as prized possessions.

Remember, what you see on the outside is much different from what a suicidal person sees and feels on the inside. Don't brush off their feelings. Listen. Console. Give them another way to resolve their feelings by seeking professional help. And if you are someone who is having these feelings, try to remember that suicide doesn't just affect you...it affects everyone who ever knew you. Reach out to one of those loved ones now. You are not alone.

I've listed some resources below that are extremely helpful.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255): Suicide hotline, 24/ 7 free and confidential
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

SAVE: Suicide Awareness Voices of Education aims to prevent suicide through public awareness and education and features information, news and resources.
www.save.org/

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide.
www.afsp.org/

*Edited to add: Here's the quote from today's "Love" widget on the right sidebar...
"I like not only to be loved, but to be told I am loved."--George Eliot

Tell the people in your life that you love them every single day...starting today.

Life and Craft

Okay, okay so I've been MIA around here this Veteran's weekend. I have a great excuse...Hubby and I took the FamBam to Disneyland! We haven't been in two years, since Tank was one year old, so it was a great experience--tons of people and crowds and lines--but great nonetheless. We went to Ariel's Grotto for dinner and met all the Princesses (which was, of course, our little Princess' favorite) and had breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen and The Storyteller's Cafe. In Storyteller's, there's a great wall mural that I had to take a picture of:



In case you can't read it, it says "The life so short, the craft so long to learn."

Ain't that the truth?

I can't believe I've been actively pursuing a writing career for two years. Two years. It feels like I just started. Already I've written four books, landed two agents (lost one of course, but rebounded into the stars) and have met so many wonderful writers, authors, editors, agents, friends. Yet even through all the networking and workshops and slaving away at WIP after WIP, I feel like the darn learning curve is steep and hard to climb. Seeing the writing on the wall in black and white (or brown and tan, as it were) reminded me that a writer's journey is never done. There's never a point where one can sit back and relax and let the story tell itself. You have to slave. And learn. And drink copious amounts of coffee...well, at least that's my take.

Speaking of all things Disney and slaving away at your craft, my sister-in-law has mad cake-making-designing skills. (Like my little segway, there?) Take a look at her newest creation for a local elementary school fundraiser:



It's all edible, right down to Cogsworth's face and the broomsticks on each side. Don't know how she does it. I'd seriously rather write a book than take the time to detail out numbers on that tiny clock's face. If you missed the post where I showed pics of her AMAZING Thomas the Train cake, you should go HERE right now. It's unbelievable and completely edible, down to the track, cargo, EVERYTHING.

In other news, I'm now "officially" the President of the San Francisco Chapter of Romance Writers of America. I'm so excited to see what the next few years have in store. All I know is, if there's more family time, Disney trips, cake eating, writing, and networking with the best ladies in the business, I'll be one happy girl.

NanoDictionary

Nanowrimo: Program in which participants write 50,000 words in 30 days.
As in "I'm going to participate in Nanowrimo this November!"

Nanoing: The act of participating in the Nanowrimo program.
As in "Don't bother me this morning, or any other morning this month, I'm Nanoing."

Wrimo: Person who participates in Nanowrimo
As in "Wrimos unite! Let's get this novel done!"

Nanofried: Term used to describe a person who is physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally drained thanks to the gruelling Nanowrimo pace
As in "I'm sorry, Sparky, I shouldn't take you for your walk today, or tomorrow, or the next day, I'm Nanofried and my eyes are blurring. Is that your leash or your tail?"

Wrislo: Person who participates in Nano for the fun of it and writes at their own pace with no intention of finishing 50,000 in 30 days
As in "I'm going to participate in Nanowrimo, but I'm going to be one of those keep-their-sanity Wrislo's."

Nanomania: The craziness that happens around the world in November
As in "Nanomania is sweeping the world! One gazillion words have been written thus far!"

Nanobuddy: Person who agrees to go through the Nanowrimo process with you, posting their word-count-meters on your site as they go
As in "Come on, Nanobuddy, you can do it! Don't get discouraged by my 40,000 word count on week two, just keep plugging away! Write at your own pace, but you're gonna lose!"

Nanotorture: What happens to homes and families wherein one person is participating in Nanowrimo
As in "Make sure to stock the refrigerator and do all the laundry before Nanowrimo begins, so you're not nanotorturing your family by ignoring them for 30 days."

Nanobug: The insatiable desire to participate in Nanowrimo every year
As in "I love Nanowrimo so much, I'm going to do it every year! You should do it to! You need to hang around with me more and maybe rub fingers with my computer so you can catch my Nanobug!"

Nanowinner: Term used to describe a person who completes the goal of 50,000 words in 30 days.
As in "I did it! I'm officially insane, but I'm a Nanowinner! Where's my badge?"

Nanoloser: This word doesn't exist in any language. If you compete in Nanowrimo, you've earned non-loser status.

Nanodementia : Term used to describe a person who believes their Nanoing has no ill effects on those around them.
As in "I do NOT have Nanodementia! You have clothes to wear, give me a break...so what if you've worn the same thing since November began a few weeks ago. I think body odor is becoming."

Nanobyproxy: Disease whereby someone is kept up to speed on all Nanohappenings thanks to being best friends/related to someone who is participating. Can often lead to Nanodementia and the break down of social relationships.
As in "I think I need an Advil...and a lobotomy. Would you stop that incessant tap-tap-tapping already?!? Get away from me! I'm tired of having Nanobyproxy!"


*So whatcha think? This was way fun. The sentences were cheesy and dry, but it's early and I haven't had my coffee yet. Got any other good Nanoisms to add? I'll update my list and repost it later if you've got a good one!

Where the birth of a NanoDictionary happens.

I grabbed my cup of coffee this morning (Starbuck's home grounds with natural Caramel flavors--Yum!) and sat down to write a blog post. I spent some time perusing through blogs I follow (as I usually do), saw most people drowning in Nano's wicked waters, and found other helpful information on agent-editor contract negotiations.

Usually that's all it takes for a hint of a post to spark.

Not today.

I'm Nanofried. That's a new word. And during Nano month you're not supposed to edit, so there you have it.

I'm about 3K words behind where I need to be. (My Nano meter on the site desperately needs to be updated, but that takes time, and my time is either spent writing or catching up around the house.)

I can imagine that doing Nanowrimo might be a little like what it must be to be up against a deadline. (Didn't you hate all those teeny-tiny words clumped together just there? There'd be a better way to write that sentence, no? But no eidting, remember? Heh. There I go again.)

Anyway, you have to pump out your story. You have a time frame to do it in that seems darn near impossible. Everyone around you is cheering you on. You can finish! You can succeed! You're so close! Dedicate yourself to writing!

And then the world steps in. Children beckon (or whine, holler, scream, fight, and generally distract from your work-in-progress). Laundry piles up and you're tired of wearing your sweats all day--okay, so this could never happen, but still. Your family is starting to notice and intervene by bringing over Gallon bottles of Tide.
Dinner consists of Macaroni-and-Cheese and Ramen bringing you back to your college days. You don't mind, except you remember the Freshmen Fifteen because of all that instant food. Ugh. On top of all that, there are serpent-like writing destroyers that shove their poisonous heads into your perfect writing world: birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers, weddings, family gatherings, out-of-towners visiting, the Queen coming to town, Pink playing nearby, yada, yada.

But above all that, you write anyway. You feel productive. A sense of accomplishment washes over you. The fact that you've managed to create something in such a short amount of time makes you proud like no other writing endeavor has before.

I don't know who said it, but it's a great quote anyway: "Do not fear the winds of adversity. Remember, a kite rises against the wind, rather than with it."

Now get Nanoing. Catch up. You can do it. (I think I'm seriously going to start a Nanowrimo dictionary. Whatcha think?)

Happy Monday!

It's Monday again and it's time for another Blog Hop! Authors! Have a book out? Are you under contract for publication? Make sure you join in the hop. This is a great way to network your blog and let readers know who you are!

Silent Sunday

*

"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible."--T. E. Lawrence

Release Date!

Dark Tide Rising Official Blurb:

Depend on a man? Never! Emily McAllister wants nothing more than to control her own life, but when a vision of her best friend’s murder grips her, Emily's forced to put her trust in the straight-laced sergeant responsible for closing the case. The police believe the drowning was accidental but Emily, haunted by dreams of the killer, knows better. Police sergeant Mark Thurgood is interested in facts, not premonitions, and he's tried to steer clear of the ocean since rescuing two lives from its icy clutches. When danger threatens the free-spirited Emily, he's determined to stay by her side. It isn't until Emily finally begins to trust Mark that she realizes her reaction to him may be more than physical attraction. But when a detail emerges from the murky veil of her dreams she questions if the man she's fallen for is actually a killer.




The hunt for the man (and killer) of her dreams begins
February 2nd, 2011.

Write Anyway

It's Day 3 of Nanowrimo. Allow me to break down the first two days...

Day 1
I'm excited! Everyone is so motivating and likable and the excitement is contagious!
I'm writing! I'm still editing as I go, refusing to slash the throat of quality for the sake of quantity and HEY it's not going too bad!
I've only reached 600 words? Huh. Feels like more...
Kids mutiny! Must get groceries!
Must watch Iron Man 2!
Must...write?
I'm content to catch up on my words tomorrow.

Day 2
I'm ashamed of Day 1. For crying out loud, it was ONE DAY of writing dangerously and I failed. Day 1 is hanging its head in shame, but my cupboards are full and my kids have fallen in line.
I'm writing! Oh yeah, words are flowing. They're good, rich words.
Hey, look at that, I've reached 1000 words by noon. I'm not such a loser after after.
Twitter!
FacebookFacebookFacebook!
Do I really need clean clothes? Nah. Another chapter must begin NOW.
I'm writing! Look at me go! I reach 1500 words.
I'm stumped...dah...dum.
Judge Judy!
More writing. The words are sluggish, but they're there.
Would you look at that! A plot hole the size of the grand canyon.
I'm stumped...dah...dum.
Write Anyway! Make no sense! Pound keys!
Become manic, laughing like Count Dracula with each keystroke.
What's that I spot waaaay over there! Yes! A bridge! I've written my way over the mind sucking abyss! Huzzah!
WritewritewritewritewriteWritewritewritewritewriteWritewritewritewritewriteWritewritewritewritewriteWritewritewritewritewriteWritewritewritewritewriteWritewritewritewritewriteWritewritewritewritewriteWritewritewritewritewriteWritewritewritewritewrite.
Reach 25000 words. *EDITED TO ADD: YES, THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO READ 2500. GUESS I WAS MORE DELIRIOUS THAN I THOUGHT WHEN I WROTE THIS POST.
Collapse at 2 am. Fulfilled.

The purpose of my spastic post? Write anyway. Don't let expectations get you down. Try to edit as you go, but when you get to a problem area, write through it until you get to the other side. Watch your shows. Do your chores. Don't abandon your sanity to write 1668 words a day. Do everything you normally do, and in the face of all that normal day adversity, WRITE ANYWAY.

A letter to Evil

Dear Nanowrimo,

When I first heard your name and what you expected of those in your presence, I thought to myself that although your requirements were steep, they weren't unmanageable. I wanted to be in your company. I wanted to wear one of those spiffy badges that said I was a Nano Winner--one of the elite. A writer capable of throwing logic aside and wearing the "insane" hat for the month of November.

Acting on those requirements of 50,000 words in 30 days...which breaks down to about 1700 words per day...is much harder than it seems.

Maybe it's because I don't write a certain amount of words per day. Some days I write 500 (like yesterday). Some days I write 3000. Or maybe its because now that I have an agent again (HUZZAH!) I have to write a synopsis for Book2 and go back through Enemy with another fine tooth comb. Yeah, maybe that's it.

My time is stretched thin. My mind is jumping between books. Or maybe Nanowrimo is just so hard core that it's sending me to my knees.

Nano, I bow down.

Your ever faithful but drowning servant,
Kristin

P.S. Yes, I know it's only Day 2. I can hear your evil laughter from here, so shut your wrimo trap. I'll catch up...