-
Nanowrimo Anticipation!
Tomorrow is a big day, and not just because of the crazy sugar withdrawals.
Tomorrow is the first day of NANOWRIMO!
New story. New characters. New setting.
I can hardly wait!
And while I’m waist-deep in story world, my family will not starve, and our home will not turn into a complete trash pile. At least it didn’t the last two time I won Nano.
Here’s the ticket (well, what worked for me anyway):
1. Plan out the entire month’s menu repeating meals each week. This makes even the grocery shopping a breeze.
2. Have a plan to involve the kiddos in maintaining a somewhat livable home.
3. Schedule writing time each day and commit to that time. I use a timer to stay focused.
4. Avoid online distractions. Try a program like RescueTime. I love this.
5. Cut out extra commitments, which means saying “no” sometimes. It’s so much harder than it sounds.
6. Learn to be comfortable with lower household standards. You can clean it up in December.
7. Get up a little earlier each morning. Ouch! I know this one hurts but it will be worth it.
8. DON’T get behind.
Here’s the Nelson family menu November:
Mondays – lasagna (It’s already made and in the freezer)
Tuesdays – Crockpot Italian Chicken and broccoli
Wednesday – soup (already made at Safeway) and yummy bread
Thursday – Taco/burrito night
Friday – rice bowls with veggies and leftover taco meat and beans
Saturday – homemade pizza (the kids do a lot of this one)
Sunday – make your own
Happy writing!
Are you doing Nanowrimo? What’s your battle plan?
-
How Did I Get Here?
Yesterday my oldest child became an adult. In many ways, I still think of myself as this age. So how did he catch up? Or, how did I get this old?
I’ve loved the last eighteen years. Being a mom is a huge blessing. It’s not as easy as the baby commercials make it look. In fact, it’s brutally hard. It will break you heart, drop you to your knees, and make you like a two-day old kitten placed in the middle of the freeway. Completely vulnerable.
Parenting has also stripped away many of the trait that kept me from knowing God. At eighteen I was fully selfish. I wanted my way, and I really didn’t give much thought to how that effected others. My world revolved around my needs and wants.
Funny, I wasn’t really happy then. In fact, I wasn’t happy at all until I was blessed with others to serve. My eighteen year-old self would gag at that thought, but the forty year-old only laughs.
That eighteen year old didn’t know ANYTHING!
What a blessing to see that my son is nothing like I was.
The picture below is from yesterday’s party. This is just a fraction of the “family” God has blessed me with. How awesome is that?
Forty’s not so bad.
-
It’s Official!
I can hardly believe it!
Have you ever worked toward a goal for so long that you lost track of the finish line?
My writing life is divided into a series of goals. Some I’ve accomplished quicker than I’d imagined. Others seemed like I’d never get there.
So, what did the finish line look like for my latest goal achieved?
Simply, my name.
My name listed under fiction authors represented by The Steve Laube Agency.
Yep! I’ve signed with Karen Ball. I’m so blessed!
No time for more right now. I’m off on the next race.
-
All’s Well That Ends With Chocolate!
After a crazy day of packing, kid hauling, paper signing, and traveling to the OCW Summer Coaching Conference, I settled in for an afternoon of encouragement and learning. My first workshop was taught by Jeff Gerke. We learned about dialogue and handling profanity.
Yes…PROFANITY!
After the workshop I was starving. Okay, maybe not starving. I’m an overfed American. Really hungry is not my norm. As it turns out, while I packed every bit of clothing I own, I failed to put in even the smallest snack.
So when dinner time rolled around, I had to concentrate on not mowing down the competition for the buffet. Luckily I’d met up with Gail Sattler. Her great conversation provided the restraint needed for me to appear relatively polite.
After dinner Jim Rubart enchanted us with his encouraging keynote. By the time he was done speaking, I was ready to jump off a cliff. That’s a good thing!
Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck taught an amazing night owl session. They took a synopsis and tore it apart. I consider synopsis to be a form of enemy. I’ve read blog and books on the subject only to feel just as incompetent as I did before. But I think they’ve done it. We’ll see as I finish up my new synopsis.
And the night ended with CHOCOLATE! Thanks to Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck, we binged on popcorn and candy while learning more about what My Book Therapy has to offer.
