Lessons learned and belated thanksgiving
No, I didn't finish 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I got to 20,000 and realized a couple of things:
1. The book was going nowhere, at least nowhere I could figure. The GPS had completely quit after leading me down increasingly narrow roads with no view.
2. If I'm going to participate in the challenge again, and I might, I have to go in more prepared. I decided on a whim, on the last day to sign up, to participate this year, thinking maybe it would spur some sort of fantastical writing. But, alas, it didn't. I need to go in with more than a tiny spark of an idea that sounded great in my head at two o'clock in the morning, but somehow didn't translate to more than 20,000 words--and it required stops at numerous metaphorical gas stations to ask directions to get that far.
Because I'd essentially abandoned the idea before Thanksgiving (I traveled with my laptop, just in case. Mostly it sat in my room calling my name occasionally but without much hope.) I had a really good Thanksgiving.
That's a picture of our view from the Thanksgiving dinner table. (Thanks to Catherine Head, a cousin, for providing the photo!) Much of my husband's family migrated to south Florida over the last 15 years or so, (this was taken on the Isles of Capri) a series of moves for which we are especially grateful come Thanksgiving.
I'm thankful that his family is warm and welcoming and generous and fun. And on top of all that, they offer the sunshine and beauty of South Florida at a time when home (Atlanta area) is cold, gray and dreary!
1. The book was going nowhere, at least nowhere I could figure. The GPS had completely quit after leading me down increasingly narrow roads with no view.
2. If I'm going to participate in the challenge again, and I might, I have to go in more prepared. I decided on a whim, on the last day to sign up, to participate this year, thinking maybe it would spur some sort of fantastical writing. But, alas, it didn't. I need to go in with more than a tiny spark of an idea that sounded great in my head at two o'clock in the morning, but somehow didn't translate to more than 20,000 words--and it required stops at numerous metaphorical gas stations to ask directions to get that far.
Because I'd essentially abandoned the idea before Thanksgiving (I traveled with my laptop, just in case. Mostly it sat in my room calling my name occasionally but without much hope.) I had a really good Thanksgiving.
That's a picture of our view from the Thanksgiving dinner table. (Thanks to Catherine Head, a cousin, for providing the photo!) Much of my husband's family migrated to south Florida over the last 15 years or so, (this was taken on the Isles of Capri) a series of moves for which we are especially grateful come Thanksgiving.
I'm thankful that his family is warm and welcoming and generous and fun. And on top of all that, they offer the sunshine and beauty of South Florida at a time when home (Atlanta area) is cold, gray and dreary!
Comments
Your sweet lil ole Aunt Polly