Picked up the Key To The Door

Moved into my new home on wheels and I am Loving it. Thank you Karon and the team at RV Supercenter, Christchurch

Its been a stressful week getting it sorted and I keep reminding myself how fortunate I am. It will seem so easy when viewd in a tear from now.

I haven’t been getting many words written, and keep going off on a tangent. My mind wouldn’t settle. It was most likely stress. Or, was I allowing myself an excuse to procrastinate?

Homeless

My dear friends Gerard and Femmy, I’m so grateful for your hospitality while I was homeless. Even havong to share your company with an Irishman turned out to be fun. He happened to be on his way from a MMM project in the top of the south to Karitane near the bottom of the south.

MMM

MMM refurbish and help maintain Christian churches, camps and schools. Check them out on mmm dot org if your interested in volunteering your skills, or seeking their help.

Road Trip

A group of motorhome Babes are getting together tomorrow to plan a North Island tour. How awesome is that? Yep, I’m going. We’re departing the South Island the last weekend in January ’22.

Writing

And finally, we’re down to the truth. I’m settling in to the daily routine in a different way. Cracked my daily goal of 1500 words but didn’t reach my catch up goal of 5k. I’ll keep chipping away at it. There’s two sides to every story. I realised I needed to include the other side. It’s been an interesting insight.

Sleep deprivation and PTSD have both made very interesting research.

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Don’t Plan to Write – Write!

“Don’t just plan to write — write. It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.” — PD James

Nanowrimo:
Day 10
Writing, writing, writing. Time to revise goals? Yes. Thank you Black Wolf Editor for your wise insight.
I write six days a week. Its been my habit for four years. But this year’s Nanowrimo I’ve put unnecessary pressure on myself. Not helpful.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
If its not working, find out why.
Then write.
Don’t just plan to write — write.

Quietly, in the background there’s been something very special happening, that I’ve been privileged to be a (small) part of.
Obstacles have been overcome and just maybe in time for Christmas…

The background photo – is part of the very special project.

Nanowrimo Day 6

Quote for Today (From Nano 2015)

“Begin each day from the last sentence you wrote the preceding day. This prevents those cringing feelings, and means that you have a substantial body of work before you get down to the real work which is all in editing.” — Will Self

Nanowrimo:
Day 6
Keeping the momentum going. And today there’s a bonus. A wedding. A real live, real life one. And it was beautiful and heartfelt and joyful. Ah, the romantic in me sighs.

The background photo – a pretty rhododendron while on our walk.

Nanowrimo Day 2

Quote for Today (From Nano 2015)
“Find your best time of the day for writing and write. Don’t let anything else interfere. Afterwards it won’t matter to you that the kitchen is a mess.” — Esther Freud

Nanowrimo:
Day 2
The best intentions flew out the window, but I had a good couple of sprints early in the morning and trend is looking optimistically great.

The background photo – camelia on our morning walk. Love spring and the colour it brings.

Nanowrimo Day 1

Quote for Today (From Nano 2015)
“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” — W. Somerset Maugham

Nanowrimo – Pre Writing party’s have been underway. Day 1 writing madly but haven’t made my goal, but did make my 1667 words for the day.

The background photo – New litter of kittens born under the boys bed.

The Shelfie – Nanowrimo Instagram Challenge

The Shelfie is an author and reader thing. My current book shelf is on Audible, Kindle and in my basket is my notebooks, Motorhomes, Caravans and Destinations Magazine, and writing craft books, Fast Feast Repeat, by Gin Stephens, and a spiritual book for digging deep.

Quote for Today
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” – Saint Augustine

Writing
Even the possible threat of a COVID outbreak lockdown sent everyone in Christchurch into a spin and my intentions to write at the beach went out the window – I did visit the beach.

Nanowrimo – three days to go!. Look out for a celebration launch in your area (you can find your local people – even though Nano have said no physical meetings).
Christchurch writers can check out the ChristchurchNZwriters dot org for events in their area (because we’re online, anyone can join in).

The background photo is of my current bookshelf because I live in my campervan. When I move into my motorhome in a few weeks, I get a bookshelf again.

A Cliffhanger – Nanowrimo Instagram Challenge

Your on the edge of your seat, eyes dilated, heart pounding for the hero. Its one o’clock in the morning and the pages have been turned fast to find out how they get out of the diabolical situation. And…

‘Be sure to buy the next book to find out what happens next.’ Huh? Book flies across the room and slides down the wall.

If there’s a cliffhanger, the next book had better be accessible!

Fun fact: remember the series “Lost”? The writers were instructed to finish each episode on a cliffhanger.
When asked how they were going to tie up all the loose ends, a writer shrugged, they weren’t. The series made lots of money, but ticked a lot of people off.

Quote for Today
“Attention spans are changing. It’s very noticeable. I am very aware that the kind of books I read in my childhood kids now won’t be able to read. I was reading Kipling and PG Wodehouse and Shakespeare at the age of 11. The kind of description and detail I read I would not put in my books. I don’t know how much you can fight that because you want children to read. So I pack in excitement and plot and illustrations and have a cliffhanger every chapter. Charles Dickens was doing cliffhangers way back when. But even with all the excitement you have to make children care about the characters.” – Cressida Cowell

Writing today was in a new location. I think you’ll like it. It’s

Nanowrimo is nearly here. Um, what words do I write next? Trust they’ll come. Begin writing anything to get into the groove. The cliffhanger is for the reader, not the writer.

The background photo is a true cliffhanger for a dramatic continent. The cliffs stretch acrossthe bottom of the Southern end of the Australian continent, amazing to see in real life. An audio book to listen to, dramatic views, wildlife, whales, the Nullarbor is not boring. (Check out Instagram posts September 2018).

Nullarbor Cliffs, the dramatic southern edge of Australia

Favorite Quote – Nanowrimo Instagram Challenge

Todays challenge is favorite quote, but this would have to be one of the hardest challenges. I LOVE quotes. They often form the basis of what I post. My favorite quote changes as I grow and stretch along my journey.
The quote that I have lived my life by is “And it came to pass.”
No matter what happens in our life, it will either come to pass or the way we look at the challenge will come to pass.
When we change under the pressure of what burdens us, we move forward. I confess, sometimes the pressure was on for sometime before I was able to move forward.

Quote for Today
“And it came to pass.” – ubiquitous biblical quote.

Meditation
Whatever is troubling you, hold it out. Think about the worst scenario. Now think about the best possible outcome. Whatever happens, you will find a way to cope as you accept this thing has happened or, will happen or may happen. Hand it over to God. Stand in his amazing presence. You are not walking alone. It may take time. Acceptance is the first hurdle.

Writing
I have found a name for my fictitious town. Volcano Harbour and the closest city Te Taone (Maori for The City). I’m hoping this will be an acceptable name as Maori give the name of a place as a precious gift.

Nanowrimo is nearly here. Excitement and fear are building among writers. Look at it this way. If you don’t make the fifty thousand word challenge, whatever you do write is more than you started with. One time my story stopped at thirty two thousand words and I discovered it was a novella, not a full blown story. My characters refused to budge, no matter how hard I tried.

The background photo is from a wall of T L Travers Mary Poppins, from when we visited Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.

Writing Snacks – Nanowrimo Instagram Challenge

Todays challenge is writing snacks. Simple. I dont eat until later in the day on 16/8 or 19/5 intermittent fasting. That means my body fasts for 16 or 19 hours and I eat in an 8 or 5 hour window.
Check out Gin Stephens book Fast, Feast, Repeat or her inspirational podcast of Intermittent Fasting Stories.
Take the 28 Day Challenge and you’ll find this is an easy way to care for your body.
They say people come to intermittent fasting to loose weight, but stay for the health benefits. You just feel better. The body doesn’t ache so much.
And there’s no “diet” foods. There is no expense to eat this way. No marketing to follow. It’s free apart from your normal food costs.
If you choose this way of eating remember to fast clean. Black coffe/tea and water. Anything else triggers an insulin response.

Quote for Today
“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.” – Bethenny Frankel – TV personality and entrepreneur.

Meditation
Let food be your medicine and medicine your food – Hippocrates

Writing
Yesterday was a national holiday in New Zealand. I took it as a holiday too, hiring a motorhome while the one I call home is in for its annual service and deep clean.
I also caught up with my cousins and we all agreed we need to get together more frequently.

Nanowrimo is nearly here. It isn’t too late to decide to join in.

The background photo is the mile long jetty at Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia. Don’t you just love pelicans?

Pelican, Hervey Bay Jetty. Your diet is a bank account.

Soundtrack and Speedrun – Nanowrimo Instagram Challenge

Todays two challenges are soundtrack (best music to write to, or specifically chosen to lend a specific mood to the story) and speedrun (a summary of your story in five words).
When I write it can only be music – no words. Currently I’m listening to brain stimulating classical music.
The story: heroine ignites people; saves country.

Quote for Today
“Wake up thinking Thank You”

Meditation
Think of three things your grateful for.

The sermon on Sunday was about how we wake up, thinking grrr I didn’t get enough sleep. We rush through our day and then go to bed late at night thinking grrr I didn’t get enough done.

Each time you take a break, write down what you’ve done in the last hour or so. At the end of the day you’ve created a “ta dah” list. Focusing on what was done, not left undone, go to bed with a grateful heart.

Let me know if this practice changes your day.

Nanowrimo is nearly here. I now have a mindmap of my plot. (She does a little dance).

The background photo is of the beautiful Tarawera Falls, New Zealand