The Final Night

Nano is officially over. It was the best and the worst month in a long time.

The Cons-
- Learned that writing on a deadline consists of schedules, ideas, and lots and lots o' plot planning.
- Slowing down for a day only destroys your motivation. Don't ever stop.
- Writer's block while on a deadline is NOT GOOD.

The Pros-
- I had the best support group with my NaNo regional friends in Indy, my sister who tolerated my random novel rants, and my family.
- It is possible to kill your vampires and overcome your own self doubt. 50k words is possible, no matter what common sense tells you.
- A masterpiece can come from the rough.
- And, above all else, I have learned about myself through deadline writing. I've learned my strengths and weaknesses and I've learned to build on them. And that's the point of challenging yourself, isn't it? To find your weaknesses, look them in the face and tell them no, and move on to prove that you can achieve something few people even dare.

Look forward to the future few posts where I will finally have time to stop and describe my book and its plots to my ever-excited readers ;)

Confession of the Day

I still have a comfort blanket.

I know, only kids have them.

Typically...

It doesn't have daffodils or unicorns on it. It's just a cheap 5 dollar throw from like 4 years ago around fall time. It has leaves on it.

And I can't sleep without it, winter, summer, rain, or shine.

And I'm proud to admit it too.

50k

Tonight, I finally reached 50k words and, as a result, won NaNoWriMo 2011. It's a great feeling. I'm so glad I participated. I know without NaNo this year I wouldn't have started on my third book for who knows how long. Plus, I wouldn't have thrown myself back in the tempting arms of writing and all the thrill and chills it entails.

But I cannot describe how relieved I am that it's done. The last few days were spent racing toward word goals, hoping and praying that I wouldn't give up. And of course, I never did give up. This is feeling more and more like a good book each day. But the competition had its downsides as well. I know I rushed through and in turn sacrificed some good writing. But, alas, that's what editing is for :)

Now for a few of my favorite quotes from the first 50k.


"When the Ial designed it and insisted they place it upon the wall he was at first hesitant. Now it gave him a sense of purpose. It made him realize that he was no longer a simple farmer trying to change things. He was a revolutionist."

"I'm no mule," Jace insisted.

"It’s one of those two birds, one stone situations you easterners are so fond of.”

Arobin chuckled, looking up at the sky with a crazed look in his eyes. “One day the earth will swallow cities like this in the blink of an eye. A war is not a war until you stand on a field with your soldiers’ bodies around you. There will be a time, Roan Leah, when even the brave will wake from the night and be unable to rise.”

Farmily

We now have a cow as a part of the farmily out here. She arrived tonight and has yet to be named. She is adorable :)

Epic

This movie is the best thing to ever happen. I love this story and I love this scene. Definitely the best depiction of the plagues I can remember. And so chilling. Sometimes I'm reminded of the power God has over people and realize that it is truly a blessing he's a forgiving God.

Plus, this is great inspiration for me when I'm writing. Nothing like this scene to remind me of what I'm aiming for in my final book *wink wink*

In the famous words of Melody Pond, "Spoilers".

Also, This...


This is pretty epic as well, though I've only just learned about this game. The trailer is good enough for me though and inspirational to say the least.

An Endless Cycle

How is that we love in so many ways and still only use one word for it in our language?

How can I feel the same emotion for the steak on my plate as the glowing orange sunsets at the end of the day? I sometimes question why our language has only one word with so many meanings.

Because I feel love for many things.

But I feel tenderness for things that comfort me in the sad moments and remind me of my childhood, where life was simpler.

I feel longing for the presence of my family or my dog when I am lonely in the day.

I feel desperation for the knowledge that I play some role in a life as fragile as a little girl peeking through the shut door whispering my name.

I feel yearning for the next sunrise that welcomes another day where I can make a change in my life, even if I don't take advantage of it every day.

I feel sincerity when I see the tears upon a face and feel them on my own cheeks.

I contentment when I stand on the wide plains with the wind at my shoulders and the grass under my feet.

I feel a lot of emotions but I know I can say I love them all because they all form a life that is full and beautiful. I love the sadness just as much as I love the joy because they all balance each other other out and, without one, the other would not be so great.

And that is how I know I love. Because I love many things.

Book 2 Is Reborn

As a paperback edition!!

This is just a proof copy (a copy the writer gets before publication so they can edit and fine-tune it before it goes to the publisher). Nonetheless, it is such a feeling of excitement and pride to finally be able to hold it in my hands :)

Running on a Full Tank

Listen to this as you read this. Because that's what I'm doing.



So today is Day 2 of NaNo. I am currently around 3400 words and have 600 more to go before I'm done for the day. The excitement of writing is just as i remember it. It's like being hyped up on four cans of Monster, 40 Pixie Sticks, while running a 14-mile race down an erupting volcano with a stampede of mustangs thundering around you and four helicopters flying overhead recording the entire thing in theme to the loudest, most obnoxious music in the galaxy. Don't forget the thousand space ships soaring over your head and the massive meteorite shower burning up the sky.

Oh, and you're wearing shoes made of lightning that create craters in the earth each time to step on them.

That's what writing is like.

And I love it.

I Love Him

Sometimes I just find myself surprised at how much I love my little baby. If you can call him little. He's probably around 80 pounds now. I jokingly refer to him as a rhino when he stomps through the house on his massive paws. He's only a puppy, an adolescent in dog years, but he looks at me with such wise eyes that I'm surprised he's not an old man.