Successful Writing Day
I am in an excellent mood. This does not happen often. Hence, the blog as proof that occasionally everything is just fine. I will go back and visit this entry when I am in the trenches and need to remember what happy feels like.
The weather today shines in all the best ways. The friendly blue of the sky smiles at my screen as I tippity type away. The fall temperatures have embraced my wardrobe as I find myself in comfy jeans and welcoming jackets. Houston greets this season with pumpkins, like most of the country. But here the autumn vegetable is surrounded by green grass and fully leafed trees. The crepe myrtles are no longer blooming. Our color comes in freshly planted petunias in pinks and purples with snapdragons in yellows and oranges. These varieties will thrive through our mild winter. Houston might not represent the traditional fall look touted by painters and poets of Western Society. Houston has a unique beauty that must be experienced to be understood. Plus, I won’t have to be shoveling snow from my driveway in a couple months. Win!
I have spent almost all day outside feeling inspired and driven. We have no activities tonight and Dad has the kids. The lack of a deadline for when I have to close my laptop and abandon my writing for the day has been liberating. I truly wish I could manage this kind of day more frequently. It takes time to get into the groove when I’m writing. The less often I have to re-focus, the more quickly I get my projects complete.
I managed to get down 2435 words in the past few hours. That should probably be my goal for next month to complete NaNoWriMo. There will, without any doubt, be multiple days where I will not manage to sit down AT ALL to write. Hence, I must have more worked in per writing session, than the 1667 words, to have a chance at success.
The odds have already swung in my favor. I scoured the rules for the contest again. It says that the words have to be freshly written, but they do NOT have to be from a brand new story. I’ve decided to continue with my current novel. Adding 50K to that production should just about finish it off. How incredible would it be to finally put to bed my very first book! Obviously, it will still need to be revised and edited. But the words to tell the story will shine on the screen, waiting for their final places. Using my existing story takes a lot of stress off. I spent a ludicrous amount of time developing this world and differentiating the characters. To do all that work in a week for a new novel is too daunting for my finish-one-thing-before-starting-another brain.
Okay, who am I kidding? My brain doesn’t work like that at all. I have many, many irons in the fire. At this point, there are so many irons, my house will burn down if I add one more. I am rather fond of my house. Therefore, I will add to my current book instead of starting a brand new endeavor. Speaking of removing an iron, I’m going to finish this short story. I’m so close. I want it done, edited and submitted for publication before November 1st. Wish me luck!
For your reading selection this evening, I suggest Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. The characters are a bit modern thinking for 12th century England, but the backdrop tantalizes. Brutal realities of living in the dark ages, when the Church held all the power and everyone else struggled to survive, made me grateful for modern sensibilities. I learned more about building a cathedral than I thought possible.
Delve into the unknown; you might experience the extraordinary. Read more books!
