NaNoWriMo = NaNoBloggingMo

The bad news: NaNoWriMo has taken over my life.  Most of my free time has been spent working on my novel.  

The good news: Last night, I surpassed the 50K word mark.  Last year, I didn't make it this far, so I'm thrilled.  

Even better news:  November is almost over.  Woo hoo!  

The blogosphere shall celebrate my return very soon, I promise.  

There had better be fanfare and streamers and loud party music.  

It's NaNoWriMo time again

Last year was my first year as a NaNoWriMo participant.  If you asked me this time last month, I would have sadly shaken my head and admitted that I wouldn't participate this year.  I had absolutely no ideas.  

Then, just over a week ago, I got a flash of an idea (it was actually a combination of several aspects of other ideas I've had in the past).  I started to write immediately and then decided to take a break and wait until November.  That actually helped give me some time to pan out more of the idea.

I know NaNoWriMo can be time-cosuming and frustrating at times, but I'm looking forward to it.

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Wordless Wednesday: NaNoWriMo

Lately, I haven't had any inspiration at all.  I haven't written anything in nearly a year.  I've captured a line or two here or there, but I haven't written anything of substance since last year.

This past weekend, my muse returned.  She's been doing the polka in my mind ever since.

I wrote a first chapter and a few other bits and pieces.  I'm letting the story unfold in my head for now.  I'll make a point of recording it in earnest next month for NaNoWriMo.

A small portion of the first chapter was inspired by moments like this.  That's my son back when he was 4 months old.  He's just shy of 6 years old now.

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Wordless Wednesday

Your Life Story In Six Words

I know about this six word memoir concept: you summarize your life in six words.  Today, I saw one where the authors summarized their love lives.

I love that idea (and some of those answers).

I want to try my hand at it, but not only for love lives, but for childhood, friendship, parenting and all sorts of things of the sort.

The problem is, I have no freaking clue where to even begin.  I do my best thinking when allowed to just ramble to myself, so I'll do exactly that now.  Come along for this schlep through the joy and wonder that is my mind.

I can take a stab at the parenting one using my favorite piece of advice to give new parents.  If I was to follow Amy Chuah's lead, I wouldn't title my parenting memoir, Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother (which actually works for this as it IS six words).  Mine would be something more along the lines of;

Research Research Research Then Follow Heart


With Each Child, World Begins Anew 


They Need More Than Mere Survival 
I've often had that thought when people say, "I XYZed and my kids survived."

Nothing You Can't Do Without Help


and for humorous books on the topic:


Our Mom Doesn't Need Your Advice


These Boobs Are Made For Squirting

Here's what I have for the six-word summary of my religious views:

I'm G-d's Wrestling Partner Not Cheerleader.  


Justice Justice Shall You Pursue Always
Forgive me for putting words in G-d's mouth.  I had to add a word there to get it up to 6.

Act Justly, Love Mercy, Wrestle G-d 
This is a mix of two religious texts.


Yes, I do so love the idea of wrestling with G-d.  


Again, as for the humor book, maybe something along the lines of:

Never Met Italian Jews?  We exist.
I could trade out Italian with Dutch or Irish as well.  Most people seem to know that French Jews exist, so I could leave that one out.  


As far as my childhood, the first one that pops into my head is related to my teenage years,

Cut It Out! Not that Bad.

Oh yeah, I was a little emo one (before "Emo" was a word).

As far as love life...hmmm...

I find myself scouring song lyrics for this one.

So, I'm opting with

Two of Us Can Do Anything

Hurts Not Much When You're Around

This one right here I think probably sums it up best:

Sacred Simplicity You At My Side

Then there's this:

Sailed Seas.  Met Storm.  Found Harbor


Okay, now enough of the cop outs with song lyrics.  I should think of something completely original.  Shouldn't I?  


Well, you know what?  I've got nothing.  I got up, made myself a snack, refilled my water bottle and brainstormed; but I'm at a complete loss.  I can't blame the kids for this either because they're in bed.  So there's no nagging or whining or banter to distract me.  There, is, however, a complete and utter lack of ideas.

I'm loving that last one.  I think I'd just go with that without the hassle of creating something completely original.


Hmmm...when thinking about my memoir, though, I'm at more than a bit of a loss.  I know, once upon a time, I came up with a few ideas, but, as I've already ranted, life has a way of stomping the hell out of creativity before it has a chance to be preserved.

One thing that popped into my head was this secret which was once featured on Post Secret.  I loved it.  I saved it.  I posted it in my house.  I admit that I've always hoped it was written about me.  I don't actually believe that, but a girl can dream.

So, using that as a jumping off point, I might go with

She's Trying To Save the World

Another one just popped into my head inspired by recent rants.

So Many Ideas Not Enough Time

And here are a few random ones:


I Freaking Love Sleep.  Unrequited Love.


Don't Die Before Seeing the World!


You Forget That I'll Kick You


Like My Dreams Better Than Reality 


There's So Much More To Learn


Chasing the Sparks In the Ocean


I Need Stories More Than Food


I Am The Legacy Of Many 


Short Weird Chick Never Shuts Up.


I'll Make My Own Damn Cape.


Hmmmm....and, perhaps, one inspired by Hemmingway,the man who, arguably, started this all.


For Sale.  Baby Shoes.  Well Worn.  


What say you?  Anyone else care to get in on this?  If you had to write your memoir in six words, what would it be?  If you had to describe your childhood, religious views, parenting, love life, etc. in six words, what would you write?

If drama is a llama than everyday life is a narcoleptic sloth with insomnia.

Picture stress as a person.  Better yet, picture it as a gigantic monster of some sort.  I'm not talking about Godzilla.  That's too clean and dry.  Picture something slimier.  It oozes.  It drips.  It stomps all over the place and not only can you not run away fast enough (I keep picturing Indie and the giant rolling boulder), but you then have to clean up the mucous left in its wake.

If stress is a looming dripping monster, what then is the incessant banter of little people? I see it as teeny tiny horse-riding knights wielding sharp weapons.  There are gangs of them rampaging through my head.  They bombard normal thought and slice them in half.  These vicious loud banter knights hide in the pathway from my head to my fingers and jump out and pierce creativity before it has a chance to be born into the world.  

Then what is everyday routine?  In my mind, it's a narcoleptic sloth.  It's insane amounts of dragging and exhaustion.  Can one have insomnia AND be narcoleptic?  If so, then the everyday monotony is an insomniac narcoleptic sloth.  It's constantly exhausted, doesn't get very far because it keeps conking out, yet can't ever get enough sleep when necessary.

Maybe everyday routine is a vacuum; sucking away time, creativity, youth, gentleness, and the ability to create a list of words which accurately describe just WHAT it removes.

As if you haven't been able to guess, the malaise has set in.  Let me say, I've actually been in remarkably good spirits lately.  Sure, there are small things I wish were different, but I'm very happy with my life.  I find myself having a number of, "This is awesome," moments lately.  Yet, the daily routine leaves little to no time for creativity.  You can't sit down and read or write (for your own enjoyment, not the kids') when you have two or three meetings scheduled with the real estate agent this week or when there are crepes to be cooked (or at least supervised--and eaten, of course) with the kids for a homeschool event, or a toddler to catch as she tries to perfect her dives off the top bunk.

When I do try to channel my creativity, little people constantly pop in and talk at me or they fight with each other or someone stomps off in someone else's giraffe rain boots and screaming ensues.  It is not physically possible to create when there is screaming over giraffe boots.

Do you have any idea how many times I have started and stopped this blog entry?  Do you have any idea how many times I've caught little people reading over my shoulder?  These kids are destroying my ever loving mind  patience.

And right on freaking cue: 
Pardon me for just one moment.  We will return to your regularly scheduled blog post when my son stops telling (complete with wild hand gestures and sound effects) about the video game he will create when he's older and owns his own flying car company and...(sorry my brain is overloaded.  I have abso-freaking-lutely no idea what else he said, only that it was very very loud and insistent). 


Wait, wait, wait, can't get back to the blog entry just yet.  Oldest asked me what to do with something with which she already knew exactly what to do.  


Pardon me one more moment.  Must remove head from desk (and insert plugs in ears).  

Oh hell!  Just freaking forget it.  THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M COMPLAINING ABOUT.  I had a thought.  I started this (12 freaking hours ago) with a point, but all the mundane everyday crap ran that thought and inspiration off.

There was more I wanted to write, but I'll be damned if I can remember it now.  

Soy un perdedor I’m a loser baby, so why don’t you kill me?

With this post, I'm completing Nanoblomo.  I have a blog post for every day this month.   Yay!

Today is the last day of November which also marks the end of Nanowrimo.  I can't call myself a "Nanowrimo Winner" because my novel doesn't consist of 50,000 words.  So you won't see any cool winner badges or certificates on here.

Originally uploaded by AdamBaronPhoto

I didn't hit 50,000 for two main reasons:  #1.  I'm writing a young adult novel and I don't believe I need 50,000 words.  #2.  I got to a point where I really needed some outside opinions to know where to go from there and I didn't get those before the end of the month.

While I'm annoyed that I can't add one of the cool winner badges, I consider myself to have successfully completely Nanowrimo.  I wrote every day and until recently, I met or exceeded the 1600+ word count per day.

So I'm happy with that.  I'm not a winner, but, with a word count of 36,339*, I'm going to call it good and just keep working.

*Final word count at 11:54 pm is 37,606.  I am officially calling this novel done.  From here, I move on to editing which I plan to do for a long time.  

This IS the House You Are Looking For

We have potential buyers coming to look at the house tomorrow.  This has the potential to be perfect timing.  

I'm really done with the whole living apart from my husband thing.  I would really love to move along already.  

Please, please please please PLEASE. 

Help me, Obi-wan, you're my only hope.  

*Yes, I realize the "These are not the droids you are looking for" line was said by old Obi-Wan, but I like the lego version of the young one better.  So :-p to the accuracy sticklers.

**Just FTR, it kills me to use the screwy Star Wars grammar.  I love the movies, but I love grammar too.  

We've got grammar, yes we do.  We've got grammar.  How 'bout you?

On the 9th day of randomness...

Okay, so it's not actually the 9th day.  I suck at following directions, so I'm just filling these in whenever I can (or when I have no other blog ideas and need something to post about for Nanoblogmo).

Day 9 of the Randomness asks about something I've done recently of which I'm proud.

I'm probably proudest of the fact that I'm actually following through with Nanowrimo.  The only day I missed was last Friday and that's only because the wee-est of the wee ones was sick and then it was sunset and Shabbat means no writing.

Even with that day without writing, I still managed to catch up and average just about enough words for the month so far.

Last night, I sickness fairy beat me senseless and I went to bed early without writing.  I couldn't sleep, though, so after an hour in bed, I got up and decided to write anyway.

I keep telling my friends that I haven't written any fiction at all in years (most of my writing tends to be articles about breastfeeding, birth, and joy/wonder/horror/hilarity that is parenting).  The last piece of fiction I wrote was a short story nearly five years ago.  I've NEVER tackled a novel (even if it is a young adult one.  Fear not,  though, no mormon vampires anywhere near this YA novel).  During this month, I've not only worked on this novel, but I've gotten two other story ideas as well.  I'm floored by that.

So that's where my pride lies as of late:  I committed to Nanowrimo for the first time and I'm actually following through.

Day 8: Goooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!

My short-term goals for the month include Nanowrimo.  I started out just wanting to write to do something for me as a way to force me to focus creative energy, which I admit I don't do nearly often enough.  Now, though, as a completely unexpected story starts to take shape (not at all the one I set out to write), I find that I really do want something to come of this.  Even if I don't write something commercially viable (I'm working on a young adult novel right now), I at least want to get this story out there.  I really am committed to getting that done.  My goal is to write something my daughters will read and enjoy.  I don't care if it doesn't get beyond them.  I just want to be able to finish it, hand it to them and have them honestly enjoy it.

Another goal is to sell this blasted house.  In my dream world, I would love to have this house sell in November.  Then I could celebrate one last Thanksgiving here (although, sans the husband) as a big going away party and it would probably take just enough time that we could look at moving in December right after the girls' Hebrew school consecration.

And, of course, there's always keeping the kids alive and our world in order.  I'd also enjoy saving the world, but I think that will probably be relegated to the "Long-term goal" folder.

Broken Computers and A Month Full of Blogging

Sorry for the absence.  The weest of my wee ones took it upon herself to destroy my laptop, so I had to wait on a new computer.  My imac has appeared and so too has November.  I'm taking part in Nanoblogmo which means you'll see at least one post from me every day this month.

Feel free to cheer or jeer, which ever you feel is more appropriate.

I'm also going to take a stab at NanoWriMo for the very first time ever.  I was toying with an idea for a young adult novel and then, at the library, books with a somewhat similar theme just about jumped out at me.  So I'm going to take that and run.

Of course, I just realized today is November and that means I'm supposed to get started on all this stuff.   Oh joy!