Jump Start

Did you happen to notice the little picture in my sidebar that says, "Camp NaNoWriMo Participant"?

NaNoWriMo is known in the writing world as National Novel Writing Month. As it always occurs in November and I can never participate because November is one of the worst months of the year for me, I was excited to see they offer a similar event in the summer.

Because as we all know (at least if you've been following my blog since its inception), I hate, despise, and loathe summer. Heat and I do not get along, and when the temps outside get grueling, I head inside into my air-conditioned house and become a hermit.

And, as I finished plotting my novel and am ready to work on it again, Camp NaNo came along at just the right time.

I'm eager to jump in and get going on the novel again after my recuperation from the hysterectomy, the sinus infection I got a week ago, school getting out, and various other activities derailed me from writing.

If Camp NaNo is something you're interested in, check out the site, www.campnanowrimo.org, and sign up. Or don't and do it on your own terms. ;-) Be a rebel! They're hosting it in June and August.

I don't plan to write 50,000 words (the goal). Instead, I tailor NaNo to my particular needs. And my need is to simply write as much as possible, and not a bunch of goop that I'll have to get rid of with a scythe come editing time.

Want to join me?

Writing Quote

This is perhaps my most favorite writing quote of all time. I love that I can change what I write, smooth it, and polish it until it shines.

It also relieves the pressure of getting it right the first time. That phrase or paragraph that doesn't quite convey what I want it to can easily be changed.

What is your favorite writing quote?

Is Blogging Dying?

I admit it. I probably interact on Facebook with friends - writing and otherwise - more than I do on my blog. Why? It's an easier way to communicate. I haven't hit Twitter yet, as I'm not sure I like the format, and I also haven't tried out Tumblr (mostly because I don't understand this micro-blogging phenomenon).

But it got me to wondering: are personal blogs dying? I've posted less and less as the years go by, and that's a far cry from where I started out. I used to post every day. Now I'm lucky to get one a week.

However, I don't want to give it up because I have met so many amazing people through this form of communication. I still enjoy blogging, but now I only do it when I have a good post in mind. Sadly, I have probably lost followers due to my limited posts. But on the other hand, I don't want this blog to become another obligation. My plate is full to the brim with those. I'd rather it be a fun place for me to go when I have something I want to say.

What do you think? Is traditional blogging on the way out? Are you blogging more now than you did when you started, or less? Are there other ways you prefer to connect with people that blogging just doesn't facilitate?

You Know You're A Writer When...

Every day I leave work at 2:30 p.m. to go pick up my daughter. It's a nice time of the day to get out of the office for my "lunch break" and I only have an hour and a half left of work by the time I get back.

It's also a perfect time for me to connect with my writing.

On the drive to my daughter's school, I've thought through plot snags, rearranged scenes in my head, and mused how I can make my characters' lives worse. While waiting at the school, I've made lots of notes and done research for my WIP, madly scribbling away before my daughter arrives.

Yesterday, though, was a new one for me.

After I took my daughter home, I was driving back to work and had some amazing ideas that completely created a new aspect to my novel. The ideas kept coming and as I stopped at the stoplight, I grabbed my notebook and started scribbling.

Then I looked up and realized the light had turned green and I was about to make the drivers behind me very upset.

This happened not once, but twice.

Whoops.

What's your favorite "d'oh!" moment as a writer?

The Six Week Milestone

We went to see The Avengers movie for my daughter's b'day on Saturday. It was AWESOME. And so is this picture...

Yesterday was the magic six-week mark since my surgery. They say you will begin to feel back to your old self once this day hits.

And gloriously, they (whoever "they" is) were right.

I felt pretty darn good yesterday. Even though I was still at work, I didn't need my heating pad on my tummy, didn't need to eat copious amounts of chocolate (though I did eat my fair share), and didn't feel the need to crawl into bed and cry.

Of course, I am still dealing with withdrawal symptoms from Vicodin, the pain killer I was on, which isn't any fun. If you've ever heard of or dealt with Restless Leg Syndrome, you will have an idea what I'm going through - except it's not confined to my legs, but my entire body. Thanks, doc, for forgetting to tell me about that.

BUT.

We are thinking positive here.

Yesterday morning I received proofs for my next article that will be appearing in the magazine, America in WWII and that got me energized more than anything has in the past month. I'm researching two more articles for this magazine and I've had a swell time gathering sources and digging into them.

Last night, my daughter and I took a long, leisurely walk through the park, then I headed upstairs to my lovely office, turned on some good '40s big band music, and started working on my novel. I made a lot of progress (I'm still in the plotting stages) and didn't want to go to bed.

I'd say that's a good thing.

Today I get to visit my doctor to see how my internal stitches are healing, and to see if I can begin exercising again. Crunches have been a no-no (and believe me, there's no way I'd do them at this stage!), but lifting weights would be nice. I put on a few pounds since the surgery, which is no surprise considering I was bedridden and barely moving for a month, but now it's time to start getting rid of them.

So! That's the update from this end. Even though I'm still not 100%, I'm headed that direction!

Egads!

Bad blogger, bad!

I haven't been by many of your blogs, and I haven't been posting much myself. Which means I must be on hiatus without even realizing it.

I'm back at work. I wish I were back at home. But the bank account dictates where I go, and where I go now is the office. So.

I'm slowly recovering, slowly getting back energy. S-L-O-W-L-Y. This is truly testing my patience. I want to go exercise, go to the zoo and walk around, take a trip. Heck, I just want to walk at my normal pace!

All in time.

Shout-Out: Writer Unboxed

In my last post, I mentioned how the online writing community and blog, Writer Unboxed, has been a great source of encouragement to me in my fiction writing journey.

Not only does it have thoughtful, informative posts, but contributors include published authors, marketers, and even agents who offer their take on how this writing business works.

If you haven't visited Writer Unboxed yet, I highly encourage it. They also have a thriving Facebook community that is full of support. It's a place to ask questions and get terrific feedback.

In Other News...

Today is my last day off from work. Hard to believe more than a month has gone by since I had my surgery and worked at the day job. I could take another month off and be quite happy! While I am still experiencing pain and nowhere near back to normal, the bank account insists I return to work. So high ho, high ho, it's off to work I go on Monday.

Happy Friday!

Who Keeps You Going?

The creative life isn't an easy one. It requires a lot of discipline, strength, and determination. But there are times when quitting looks like the perfect solution. It's not, of course, because being creative is more than a job - it's who we are.

When the days get rough, when you look at your artwork or novel or musical composition and you think that nothing else has ever stunk worse than it has, we need encouragement. Most of the time, we need to find that encouragement from within ourselves. Other times, our well has run dry and we need to rely on others.

So who helps you when the chips are down, when you want to give up and chuck your manuscript down the garbage chute?

For me, I can always count on the support and encouragement of my family, and that is a true blessing indeed. They believe in me during those times when I don't believe in myself.

My two critique partners, who are also my good friends, are an amazing source of support. I also turn to the world of blogging, especially communities like Writer Unboxed, to keep me going.

And...I pray. I am a person of faith, so turning to the Lord is a huge relief to me.

What about you? Who keeps you going?

A Lucky 7 Meme

Denise Falvo tagged me for the Lucky 7 Meme post, and it's a fun game, so I thought I'd play along.

Meme: an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.


The Lucky 7 Meme is a fun game between blogging authors, where the one tagged uses specific guidelines (see below) to select a tiny portion of his/her WIP (aka: work-in-progress) to share with their readers. Afterward, seven more bloggers are linked in a post to carry the torch forward.


These are the rules:
1. Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next seven lines/sentences as they are – no cheating
4. Tag 7 other authors

So! Here's my contribution from my current WIP:

     The cake pan came down with a bang. “Absolutely not. You know I don’t give two figs for what the townspeople think. I’m hurt you’d even think I’d do that.”

     When would she learn to keep her stupid tongue still?

     “Oh, fiddlesticks,” Jenni muttered. “I’m sorry. Really I am. I shouldn’t have said it.”

Want to play?

The seven writers (who don't have to play if they don't want to) are:

Debs

Valerie

Daniel

Shirley

Patti

Anna

J.T. at .http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/

Since I could only choose 7 to tag, please feel free to play along even if I didn't tag you. :-)

We Don't Get Vacations

Do you agree or disagree?