(((Deep Breath))) The challenge has ended and what a wild ride it was. I'm excited to announce that I actually met the challenge this year with a whopping 50,006 words - woohoo! I feel like my brain needs a rest but words cannot express how good it felt to cross the finish line on Sunday. It's a good thing words are inadequate because I'm not sure I have many words left. I learned several things about myself during the last month, the least important of which is that I get car sick if trying to type in a moving vehicle at 4:30 a.m. on an empty stomach.

Last night I passed the 32K mark.  I've never made it to 30K in one of these challenges so this is a huge milestone for me.  I've had to cut out most of my online activities to get to this point as otherwise the time would not have materialized.  I still have 18K words to go but I am encouraged that if I continue to forge ahead and the Lord blesses my efforts, I will make it to that coveted goal of 50K words in 30 days. 

This has been an extremely emotional journey so far.  You absolutely know this to be true when you read the week three "pep talk" email from Chris Baty and you start crying at the end of it.  At the same time I'm actually excited about diving into the editing stage of this manuscript next month.  Until then, I've got 18K words to bring this story to a close.

I would love to write more about the last few weeks but I feel I've used up every word available to me in this challenge.  Any creative flare has been pored into it and so I am left with choppy thoughts and ill-thought out sentences for this blog post.

After reading over last year's start to my manuscript, and inevitably altering some words, the word count stood at 27,674.  I think that's only two words different as I tried to remind myself that I wasn't reading for editing purposes.

As Murphy's Law would have it, I began this challenge ill.  I tried to use this to my advantage though since I don't feel up to running about anyway.  Of course, cold medicine adds it's own challenges.  For one, keeping one's eyes open is kind of a requirement for writing.  I'm currently at 2,015 3,326 words for today, which did not seem to be easily achieved. 

The kids also began their own manuscripts today and are filling the pages of their spiral notebooks faster than I expected.  I plan to check their word count every few days.

Yes, I really do talk like that sometimes - how embarrassing to admit!  Anyway, I just finished reading over the 27K+ words that I wrote last November for NaNoWriMo  - whew!  Some of it was really awful but some parts showed promise.  Yes, I know this is probably one of the most unprofessional ways to write a novel but it is so much fun!  I may not be looking forward to November 4th but I'm definitely excited about the first!

I decided to get my kids in on the fun.  So, between now and the first my 9 and 10 year olds are coming up with their own story idea and main characters.  It was getting pretty silly just hearing their ideas.  I hope they enjoy it as much as I do.

It's that time again!!  Time to focus on writing for an entire month.  My fingers are itching to start typing.  I haven't truly written creatively in months.  I feel so out of practice.  Even these silly sentences seem choppy and hardly well thought out.

The goal is 50K words from November 1 to November 30.  Last year I only hit 27,672 words, however, that was a significant improvement over 2006.  I'm happy about that.  This year I'm not starting with a fresh idea.  I'm going to continue with the one I started last year.  The current word count on that manuscript is: 27,672.  Had to pull it up to see if I had worked on it since last year - how sad that I haven't.

I'll need to read those 27,672 words before November 1st to refresh my memory a bit.  I do remember where I was going with the story, I just can't remember how far I got into the telling of it.

If you'd like to join in the insanity, you may sign up at www.nanowrimo.org

May the inspiration be with you!

There is just something special about reclining on the sofa, laptop at your fingertips, coffee by your side and a story running in fast forward through your mind.  When this happens it’s like nothing else exists in the room.  I become a fly on the wall my character leans upon.  I dare not breathe or she will hear me.  I dare not move or the entire image could vanish.  The words tumble out of my fingers at a pace rivaled only by a transcriptionist.  The scene is set!  The characters take action!  It’s pure poetry!  Poetry, I tell you!  The fly marvels at the sheer genius!  She snickers at a joke made by the hero, “that’s good stuff she whispers.”

(CRASH)

Suddenly my stained and worn sofas come back into view as the world behind the cursor fades into a black and white blob on the screen.   “What was that?!”  I yell from my seat still straining futilely to regain the focus.

“Nothing.”

“That was definitely something!”  As I close the screen, my manuscript screams, “No! Don’t go in there, it’s a trap!”

Finding nothing but an overturned chair, I return to the sofa and attempt picking up where I left off.  The black and white blob refuses to resurrect and the toys on the floor refuse to disappear.  “A trap indeed”, I snort in frustration.  Now I am back to staring at the blinking cursor, in a world where naptime will expire in ten minutes.  That moment of sheer genius may not ever be published but it will encourage me to try again tomorrow.  In the meantime, I’ll enjoy being trapped in Motherhood.

I really miss writing for this blog....actually, I've missed writing in general!  As I mentioned before, we moved, yet again.  This time though, we are hopeful it will be permanent.  We're still surrounded by boxes and hundreds of stray items looking for a home in our new home.  Despite this, my plan is to resume a more “normal” routine beginning Monday morning (Oh Lord please help me with this!).  I do know that when I return, my online time will be limited to email, this blog and a couple of forums. 

Speaking of forums, I haven't formally introduced one of my favorite projects to date.  If you are a woman struggling with body image and weightloss, you might consider checking out GAINChange.  Feel free to use my contact form or email me at j.blair.lane@gmail.com express interest in joining us.  We do have some restrictions on who may join so be sure to check out the site.

Well, I'd better return to the land of cardboard chaos!  Looking forward to being back in the swing of things next week!

Ok, so I didn't hit the coveted 50K words but I did do a lot better than last year.  I closed out the month at 27,672 words - although I didn't get to the site before midnight to update my count.  I don't know if I have a story to build on but it's possible.  Before I do anything more with this one though, I have another project that I need to finish.  In the meantime, this one can marinate in my hard drive.

but already further along than last year lol.  Yes, I'm talking about the NaNoWriMo challenge.  It has been really difficult for me to “just write” and not care about mistakes or wording...etc.  With some things I can do that but I can't seem to when trying to tell a story.  I find myself going back and re-reading and re-writing.  I have to stop and just press on though.  When I “let it flow”, things start popping out about my characters that are actually interesting.  I'm discovering that I don't really know them at all - how goofy is that?!  One of the characters has changed so much from my original plan just in the first few pages that she has become somewhat evil - and I certainly didn't see that coming.

I was going to update my word count on the website but it doesn't appear to be loading for me at the moment.  So, I'll just post it here:  2,826

That's behind where they say we should be right now to meet the 50K mark by the end of November but it's only the 3rd.

I can't believe it's almost that time of the year again.  While many are thinking of costume parties, tricks and treats, turkeys, fall leaves, thankfulness and the like...thousands are thinking of one number 50,000.  That's the number of words writers from all over the globe will attempt to write from November 1-30 this year.  I have attempted this in the past (although admittedly with only a marginal effort) and have fallen quite short.  This year, I'm going to try again with the hopes that “life” will remain calm enough....long enough...for me to get more on the screen than a few paragraphs.  I've chosen to begin from scratch with a fresh new idea (rather than work on other novel projects that have been “ongoing”).  I just want to write.  No planning.  No over analyzing.  Just tell a story...period.  Also, I'm one of the suspicious people who refuses to upload my manuscript to anywhere but a legitimate publisher and so, you will just have to trust that I am actually pecking out the word numbers that I post that I am.

If you'd like to jump into the game this year - check out the site at www.nanowrimo.org - the starter pistol will sound in a couple of weeks so get ready!!