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Sunday, November 24, 2013
So you think you can NaNo... Day 24, 2013
So you think you can NaNo? Well - clearly, I can't. I didn't write on Friday, and today I managed a whopping 376 words, making my total below par by approximately 1000 words. Currently I'm sitting at 39 006. There's a good chance I can catch up, but it might mean ignoring my family, my day job, and my hygiene. Let's hope it doesn't come to that!
Saturday, November 23, 2013
So you think you can NaNo... Day 23, 2013
I started the day out right, with 1 466 words, a little shy of the 1 667 goal, but I had other very important things to do. For instance, my good friend from high school, and business partner, is here for the weekend. She and her son deserve nothing but the best, so after writing, I whipped up a scrumptious breakfast of bacon and pancakes. Afterwards, we settled in for an afternoon of e-book formatting. Even the five boys lent a head, before disappearing to watch "Dr. Who".
All in all, a busy, but productive day. I would have liked to have made up for yesterday's nonexistent word count, but I know there's always tomorrow. At 38 630 words, I'm exactly where I need to be, which is better than past years, when I've scrambled to write 5000 everyday for the last week, just to "win" the prize. Of course, the prize is the knowledge that I can create a comprehensive, if messy, first draft of a novel that might one day find publication.
As always - I remain optimistic.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
So you think you can NaNo... Day 21, 2013
This morning, I took my car in for a repair and met a friend for breakfast. It's such a treat to take time to sit, and leisurely enjoy a meal with someone else. We talk to each other nearly every day via Facebook and texts, but it's not the same as real-life contact. Sometimes, I think we don't make enough time for in-person activities. Too much is accessible on the internet... webinars, twitter chats, FB chats, texts, even Skype puts the filter of a computer screen between two people.
I think I might be missing the olden days... you know, back when we had to pull the phone cord around the corner to gain some privacy because not only was it attached to the wall in the kitchen, it was the only phone in the house. My mom used to "have coffee" several times a week with friends, in a house, while the children entertained each other. There was no stylish Starbucks or trendy Tim Hortons to meet up at. And Sunday was a family day. We'd all pile into the car and head out to Grandma's house where she would serve roast beast, mashed potatoes and pie. Only, for us, Grandma lives too far away, and our boys have too many activities that fill up Sundays to participate in such folly. These days, we're lucky if we have supper together at all.
As I'm writing this, knowing I'm about to publish it on the internet, I keep thinking that, in some ways, we're even more disconnected than we were when technology wasn't a part of our everyday. It's like we've given ourselves permission to be too busy to connect in person. Instead of "I'll call you", it's "I'll text you". Instead of "let's have a coffee", it's "I'll send you a picture on Facebook. And when we do call, or we do meet in person - we always say "we need to do this more often".
We're right, we do. At the very least, I do.
My days are far more productive when I interact with people face-to-face. Today I took my car to be fixed, had breakfast with a friend, scrubbed two bathrooms, did several loads of laundry, supervised the cleaning of the rest of the house, dropped off some donations to a local organization, wrote 1 664 words, edited another 2 500, and did my standard marketing. I didn't feel stressed, I wasn't rushed, and I didn't run out of energy.
It's possible that the luxury of working from home in pajamas has created an illusion of a stress-free work environment. The truth is, it's easy to fall into bad habits, forget to take breaks, take showers, and even take time for kids. No matter what - the work is always there. I tell myself it's okay to work in the evenings, because I sent a detailed email to my mom, I texted my girlfriend, and I shared a few links with my kids on Facebook (they're teenagers - they're allowed to have accounts). My world can wait for me to unplug because I've connected with everyone on the interweb... sort of... in 140 characters or less.
So... I need to make myself a promise. One that I can actually keep. I promise to eat dinner with my family as often as possible; I promise that while out for lunch or breakfast, I won't answer or look at my cell phone, especially if the notification is from Facebook or Twitter; and I promise to remember that connecting virtually is convenient, but it's not, and never will be, a replacement for connecting in person.
Oh - and my NaNoWriMo word count total is 37 164.
I think I might be missing the olden days... you know, back when we had to pull the phone cord around the corner to gain some privacy because not only was it attached to the wall in the kitchen, it was the only phone in the house. My mom used to "have coffee" several times a week with friends, in a house, while the children entertained each other. There was no stylish Starbucks or trendy Tim Hortons to meet up at. And Sunday was a family day. We'd all pile into the car and head out to Grandma's house where she would serve roast beast, mashed potatoes and pie. Only, for us, Grandma lives too far away, and our boys have too many activities that fill up Sundays to participate in such folly. These days, we're lucky if we have supper together at all.
As I'm writing this, knowing I'm about to publish it on the internet, I keep thinking that, in some ways, we're even more disconnected than we were when technology wasn't a part of our everyday. It's like we've given ourselves permission to be too busy to connect in person. Instead of "I'll call you", it's "I'll text you". Instead of "let's have a coffee", it's "I'll send you a picture on Facebook. And when we do call, or we do meet in person - we always say "we need to do this more often".
We're right, we do. At the very least, I do.
My days are far more productive when I interact with people face-to-face. Today I took my car to be fixed, had breakfast with a friend, scrubbed two bathrooms, did several loads of laundry, supervised the cleaning of the rest of the house, dropped off some donations to a local organization, wrote 1 664 words, edited another 2 500, and did my standard marketing. I didn't feel stressed, I wasn't rushed, and I didn't run out of energy.
It's possible that the luxury of working from home in pajamas has created an illusion of a stress-free work environment. The truth is, it's easy to fall into bad habits, forget to take breaks, take showers, and even take time for kids. No matter what - the work is always there. I tell myself it's okay to work in the evenings, because I sent a detailed email to my mom, I texted my girlfriend, and I shared a few links with my kids on Facebook (they're teenagers - they're allowed to have accounts). My world can wait for me to unplug because I've connected with everyone on the interweb... sort of... in 140 characters or less.
So... I need to make myself a promise. One that I can actually keep. I promise to eat dinner with my family as often as possible; I promise that while out for lunch or breakfast, I won't answer or look at my cell phone, especially if the notification is from Facebook or Twitter; and I promise to remember that connecting virtually is convenient, but it's not, and never will be, a replacement for connecting in person.
Oh - and my NaNoWriMo word count total is 37 164.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
So you think you can NaNo... Day 20, 2013
Today's NaNo attempt was a little less productive than usual. I only wrote 963 words, but I'm still ahead of the game with 35 500 words, so I'm not worried. Plus, my lack of productivity had nothing to do with motivation - I was just busy. After editing approximately 8000 words, connecting with a few book bloggers, running after kids, and fulfilling volunteer obligations, I simply ran out of time.
I know it's early... I'm not likely to turn into a pumpkin 9:15pm, but there's TV to watch, books to read for fun, and boys to tuck in. Plus - everyone deserves a break once in a while. So - tonight is my break - too bad I don't have a KitKat to enjoy it with.
I know it's early... I'm not likely to turn into a pumpkin 9:15pm, but there's TV to watch, books to read for fun, and boys to tuck in. Plus - everyone deserves a break once in a while. So - tonight is my break - too bad I don't have a KitKat to enjoy it with.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
No you think you can NaNo... Day 19, 2013
Today is all about best laid plans and all that jazz.
This morning, I woke up planning to go to the gym. Instead, I spent the morning waiting for the pediatrician's office to call back with an appointment for my 13-year-old hockey star... so we could confirm a mild concussion. Then, I planned to email book bloggers - which I did - peppered with short bursts of writing - which I didn't do.
Our normal Tuesday night dinner of pasta, before taking the 12-year old-to diving, turned into a spontaneous Subway supper since the doctor's appointment ended up conflicting with the dinner-cooking time slot.
At the pool, the intention was to focus on the writing I didn't accomplish during the day. This is what happens when a mom is focused on her son executing an inward one and half dive from the three metre board...
The periods go on for about ten pages. I'm a little embarrassed to say that it happened more than once.
The funny thing is, despite the topsy-turvy day, I still managed to surpass my NaNo goal. While at the pool, I thought I might have squeezed out about a thousand words, when in reality, I wrote 1 862. It was like I was having my own private NaNoWriMo write-in, and didn't even know it. Finishing the day with a grand total of 34 537, I actually feel like I accomplished something.
This morning, I woke up planning to go to the gym. Instead, I spent the morning waiting for the pediatrician's office to call back with an appointment for my 13-year-old hockey star... so we could confirm a mild concussion. Then, I planned to email book bloggers - which I did - peppered with short bursts of writing - which I didn't do.
Our normal Tuesday night dinner of pasta, before taking the 12-year old-to diving, turned into a spontaneous Subway supper since the doctor's appointment ended up conflicting with the dinner-cooking time slot.
At the pool, the intention was to focus on the writing I didn't accomplish during the day. This is what happens when a mom is focused on her son executing an inward one and half dive from the three metre board...
The periods go on for about ten pages. I'm a little embarrassed to say that it happened more than once.
The funny thing is, despite the topsy-turvy day, I still managed to surpass my NaNo goal. While at the pool, I thought I might have squeezed out about a thousand words, when in reality, I wrote 1 862. It was like I was having my own private NaNoWriMo write-in, and didn't even know it. Finishing the day with a grand total of 34 537, I actually feel like I accomplished something.
Monday, November 18, 2013
So you think you can NaNo... Day 18, 2013
I've spent a few days whining, moaning, and generally lamenting the worth of my NaNo project, but it's possible I gave up hope too soon. After three writing sprints, I cranked out 2 244 words, bringing my NaNoWriMo total to 32 675 - not bad for a project that took a serious downward turn into pathetic.
All it needed was a dash of pizzazz, a pinch of weird, some character adjustments, and a reminder that some of the best pieces of art only exist because they started out as mistakes. I'm not say this book is a work of art - yet - I'm just saying that it's possible I might be able to salvage a few thousand or so words.
In other news, today was a usual busy Monday with editing (about 6000 words), marketing, running after kids, and meetings. I didn't find any cool cat pictures, or other bits of memorabilia to share, but I did find my confidence and determination to see this project to the end. And by the end - I mean the very end - which includes edits, and with any luck, publication.
All it needed was a dash of pizzazz, a pinch of weird, some character adjustments, and a reminder that some of the best pieces of art only exist because they started out as mistakes. I'm not say this book is a work of art - yet - I'm just saying that it's possible I might be able to salvage a few thousand or so words.
In other news, today was a usual busy Monday with editing (about 6000 words), marketing, running after kids, and meetings. I didn't find any cool cat pictures, or other bits of memorabilia to share, but I did find my confidence and determination to see this project to the end. And by the end - I mean the very end - which includes edits, and with any luck, publication.
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| image from rgbstock.com |
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