We've spent the whole weekend getting ready for the in-law's visit and now we're in the final countdown. I still have last minute things to do, like mop (again) and vacuum the couch, oh, and clean the kitchen. Ah, and go to the bakery down the street to get some bread, cheese and danishes. Oh, and fold and put away the laundry. What else am I forgetting? Maybe my last minute list is a bit longer than I thought it was.
I've got 8 hours, surely I can get everything done by then, right?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wouldn't it be nice
Wouldn't it be nice to have a house of our own? Wouldn't it? All the talk about getting a house creates stress and anxiety. We can't keep going like we are but to change something we have to give something up. What are we going to live without?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Throwing in the towel
Who decided NaNoWriMo should be in November? I know that's just an excuse, but I've decided I'm in over my head.
I made it to a little under 9,000 words, which is far more than I've ever pieced together before, and I have a good idea of how to continue and where to go from there.
If only November wasn't so crazy. I got back from the grandparents house November 5th, had a conference November 7th, worked on the farm on Monday, go to Houston to visit my father this Friday to Monday, Go to Turkey Day at the farm on Tuesday and have to get ready for the in-laws to come the following Monday. The in-laws will be here until December 7th, so I'm guessing my personal time is going to be scarce.
And yes, I know I'm just throwing out excuses and that everyone else has busy lives too, but as I get further and further behind, it seems to me like this may have been an ill conceived plan.
But two things did come out of this. First, I want to finish my book, so I'm playing around with some other self-imposed deadline (maybe New Years?) to make myself keep on pace. Second, I actually wrote quite a bit (for me) and I was really enjoying writing when I began.
So maybe it's too soon to entirely throw in the towel, I want to continue writing, but somehow knowing I'm not going to reach my original goal is sapping me of my motivation. Who knows maybe tomorrow I'll get up and whiz through 10,000 words (probably not).
Maybe I should make a different word goal by the end of the month? I hate starting something and then failing to finish, but it's an all to familiar path for me.
I made it to a little under 9,000 words, which is far more than I've ever pieced together before, and I have a good idea of how to continue and where to go from there.
If only November wasn't so crazy. I got back from the grandparents house November 5th, had a conference November 7th, worked on the farm on Monday, go to Houston to visit my father this Friday to Monday, Go to Turkey Day at the farm on Tuesday and have to get ready for the in-laws to come the following Monday. The in-laws will be here until December 7th, so I'm guessing my personal time is going to be scarce.
And yes, I know I'm just throwing out excuses and that everyone else has busy lives too, but as I get further and further behind, it seems to me like this may have been an ill conceived plan.
But two things did come out of this. First, I want to finish my book, so I'm playing around with some other self-imposed deadline (maybe New Years?) to make myself keep on pace. Second, I actually wrote quite a bit (for me) and I was really enjoying writing when I began.
So maybe it's too soon to entirely throw in the towel, I want to continue writing, but somehow knowing I'm not going to reach my original goal is sapping me of my motivation. Who knows maybe tomorrow I'll get up and whiz through 10,000 words (probably not).
Maybe I should make a different word goal by the end of the month? I hate starting something and then failing to finish, but it's an all to familiar path for me.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Too much time causes my head to ramble
Well, the grandparents enjoyed my visit, which was nice. I got behind in my writing, but priorities must be set. I'm at a little over 6,000 words and want to be at 12,500 by the end of Sunday. It's possible, but we'll see if I make the goal or not. My mind is on a million different things right now.
Like, how can you make powdered milk at home (you can't really) and where are my tickets to the Agriculture in Education convention I go to tomorrow?
I woke up remembering high school and houses and had a huge blog formed in my head. It all started by remembering my friend Kristi's mom's hair when she was pregnant with her youngest child. It have a strange and jumbled mind. I think it went something like this: 35ish and pregnant, glowing hair, where will they put another kid in that house (the house wasn't that small, just seemed like it with 4 girls to an only child), my own house was big and very, very clean in high school. This is the shortened version. Needless to say it would have been one very large rambling entry.
I go visit my father in a week and try to convince him to come to New York for a summer wedding. I might drive out to Providence the day before we leave to attend a presentation of urban farmers. And that led me back to making your own ingredients. I missed boxed meals. They're so easy. I could make my own kits I suppose, right? But doesn't that somewhat defeat the purpose?
None of this is related to my novel, which I can't seem to concentrate on because my head is enveloped in fifty million different thoughts. I wonder if writing is opening my mind to more thoughts or if my mind is just avoiding the task of writing a novel. Either way I need a somewhat quiet cafe that does NOT have internet access. A little over 2,000 words a day and I'll be back on track again. Perhaps I should start a star chart.
Like, how can you make powdered milk at home (you can't really) and where are my tickets to the Agriculture in Education convention I go to tomorrow?
I woke up remembering high school and houses and had a huge blog formed in my head. It all started by remembering my friend Kristi's mom's hair when she was pregnant with her youngest child. It have a strange and jumbled mind. I think it went something like this: 35ish and pregnant, glowing hair, where will they put another kid in that house (the house wasn't that small, just seemed like it with 4 girls to an only child), my own house was big and very, very clean in high school. This is the shortened version. Needless to say it would have been one very large rambling entry.
I go visit my father in a week and try to convince him to come to New York for a summer wedding. I might drive out to Providence the day before we leave to attend a presentation of urban farmers. And that led me back to making your own ingredients. I missed boxed meals. They're so easy. I could make my own kits I suppose, right? But doesn't that somewhat defeat the purpose?
None of this is related to my novel, which I can't seem to concentrate on because my head is enveloped in fifty million different thoughts. I wonder if writing is opening my mind to more thoughts or if my mind is just avoiding the task of writing a novel. Either way I need a somewhat quiet cafe that does NOT have internet access. A little over 2,000 words a day and I'll be back on track again. Perhaps I should start a star chart.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Day One - 2006 words
Woo Hoo! It took about 2 hours, maybe 2 1/2 hours, hard to say with interruptions, but I reached my daily goal of 2000 words. I really should be aiming for 2500 words a day (considering my inlaws will be visiting from the 23rd of November on and I probably won't get as much done after they arrive) but I figure that 2000 will be the minimum per day.
I also completed character sketches for my main characters, an outline of the chapters (we'll see if I can stick to it, I have a hard time sticking to my outlines) and I'm developing a timeline since the novel will be set in Germany during 1150-1185. Next on the list is to figure out what a Margrave is and do a family tree for the decedents of Conrad the Great. This won't be completely historically accurate (Ertzgebirge, where my legend comes from is not actually included in upper Saxony during this time, but neither can I figure out who DOES control the region) but there will be aspects of the story that are based on historical events.
Tomorrow I have a 10 hour train ride to go visit my grandfather so I hope I can get more than my minimum writing quota done and a bit of research as well. Tonight's research includes how to tether my iPhone to my mac to get internet access along the way. I know it's possible. I just wish I'd asked my husband to figure it out for me before he headed off on his business trip today. Arg. I'm not exactly computer inclined and I have no idea if I'll be able to figure it out.
I also completed character sketches for my main characters, an outline of the chapters (we'll see if I can stick to it, I have a hard time sticking to my outlines) and I'm developing a timeline since the novel will be set in Germany during 1150-1185. Next on the list is to figure out what a Margrave is and do a family tree for the decedents of Conrad the Great. This won't be completely historically accurate (Ertzgebirge, where my legend comes from is not actually included in upper Saxony during this time, but neither can I figure out who DOES control the region) but there will be aspects of the story that are based on historical events.
Tomorrow I have a 10 hour train ride to go visit my grandfather so I hope I can get more than my minimum writing quota done and a bit of research as well. Tonight's research includes how to tether my iPhone to my mac to get internet access along the way. I know it's possible. I just wish I'd asked my husband to figure it out for me before he headed off on his business trip today. Arg. I'm not exactly computer inclined and I have no idea if I'll be able to figure it out.
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