“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” — Richard Bach
Nanowrimo is done and dusted for another year. How did you go?
This year is the first time I didn’t complete my goal and I’ve been feeling a bit down and cross with myself.
Then I looked at what I had accomplished. A manuscript that needs work. Thirty thousand plus words. But thirty thousand words more than if I hadn’t worked on the script when I could.
Life happens.
I’m looking at what I do have and what I can do with it. So I continue to write. Showing up each planned writing day to write 500 plus words (Fast 500).
Build on the habit you began with Nanowrimo. Write each day, in whatever time you have.
If your in the same boat, you’re not alone. Work on consistently adding words, until there is a manuscript to edit.
Be an amateur who doesn’t quit. You’ve got this, my writing friend. Have a fabulous day.
Background photo is one of the beautiful sunsets we had while the Motorhome Babes gathered near Oxford, New Zealand.
I don’t know why, but this little fur baby reminds me of Yoda.
So here are some fav Yoda quotes.
“When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not.”
“Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things.”
“Wars not make one great.”
This cute little fur baby is the last of the ragdoll cross litter. (The neighbours tom cat bet the breeding program). I’m so tempted.
“Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.”
Enjoy Thanksgiving weekend. Even though we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in New Zealand, its a great reminder to remember all we’re thankful for.
Nanowrimo It looks like for the first time ever, I won’t meet my 50k word goal. But the mystery will be solved. But I’m still writing, just not as fast.
Children’s Book Update The book is with the editor and the printer is creating a mock up of the textured paper books. We’re in a holding pattern.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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?
Carron Stevenson Author 