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Monday, November 24, 2008

NaNoWriting Done This Month


November No Writing Month


November 1 was our wedding anniversary and both Geoff and I forgot. We remembered later in the day, but with work and other commitments, it almost slipped by us without as much as a peep.

That set the tone for the rest of this month.

I was enthusiastic about signing on for NaNoWriMo for the first time. I was ready. Mark of the Condemned needed to be written and I needed to finish the final edits on The Shadow Runners. Perfect. NaNoWriMo was going to be the launching pad to energize the rest of my writing year.

And then... the garden needed to be totally cleared of weeds and scrub because snake season arrived. We have many nasty little [and not so little] serpents living in our space. Or, more accurately, we live in their space. The war of the weeds is a constant battle here. Snakes can hide right under your feet. They're masters of disguise. Not only that, but fire season is approaching and the less fuel there is to burn, the better off we'll be.

...and then... our vegetables had to be planted. The cost of living has risen here, as it has everywhere else in the world. Also, you can never be quite sure exactly what is on the food you buy. If you grow it yourself, at least you know there are no strange things added to or sprayed on it.

...and then... there's always the constant flow of visitors, friends and family who come and go. I have often threatened to replace our main entrance with a revolving door.

...and then... I had artistic commitments. There were paintings to paint, prepare and exhibit. That was huge fun, but loads of work and very time consuming.

...and then... came the usual unexpected events, illnesses, deaths, funerals, weddings, meetings and emergency journeys that go along with being in a family.

...and, well, I guess you're getting the picture. Life got in the way of writing.

November has been a disaster for my writing. All my best intentions have flown out of the window. You can bet that the moment I sit on that office chair, someone will come in, the phone will ring, something will happen, housework demands to be done, bills scream out to be paid, and off I go again.

Even with all the above, I have managed a few pages of quality writing. Nowhere near enough—nowhere near my usual monthly total—but I continue to struggle on.

The most frustrating of all, I think, is when I do have the time and opportunity to spend a day writing, and I'm either too tired or I'm totally not in the mood.

Yesterday I had the whole place to myself. In the morning I made sure I did all the boring domestic chores and cleared a pathway to the office. After lunch I sat down ready to add a few thousand words to my monthly total—and bored myself nearly to sleep. A friend rang and suggested we go to a movie. I can't resist a good movie, so there went the rest of the afternoon.

As disciplined as I've been throughout the year, November has been one of those months where I've broken all the rules.

Am I worried about not keeping my word count up? Not really. It's disappointing that I didn't rise to the NaNoWriMo challenge as I intended, but I know I can write a 100,000 word novel in eight months if I really want to, or if there's a deadline at stake. One month off in a year doesn't mean that I won't be enthusiastically writing right up to Christmas and beyond. It means that, for this month, things didn't go as planned. I also know that I'll be back on track next month.

It's all about the rhythm of writing; about being disciplined enough to set time aside to dedicate to your craft.

The danger for me is that if I have one slack month, I'll be tempted to slip into old habits. That's when my novels don't progress and I find a million excuses for not getting any writing work done.

Kick that procrastination habit. It sabotages all your good work. Instead, kick yourself into gear. Pretend writing is part of your job, if that helps you to focus. Stick a task list on your fridge or computer, or wherever you won't be able to avoid looking at it. Make at least two hours in your day available for writing. Start with one or two. You can always extend that when you find your own rhythm. Write it up there. Get it set in your mind that between the hours of, say one and three, you'll be writing or editing your writing.

Before long, you'll realise that it becomes a habit. You'll start to look forward to your daily writing time. Your imagination will switch on and you'll be ready when the clock strikes the magic hour. When that happens, even though you might have days, or months, when things don't go as planned, you'll easily slip back into your writing rhythm when everything settles down.

Remember, don't be too hard on yourself if you don't happen to reach your monthly goal. The world is not going to stop spinning and we're not all going to fall off because you have two words, or two thousand words, less than you intended.

Be kind to yourself and have some fun. "Writing Discipline" doesn't mean drudgery. It simply means getting into the habit of writing.

I'm already planning to set myself a goal for December. Even if I don't reach it, I'll be here, slaving away over a hot keyboard, trying as hard as I can to string a few extra sentences together before I have to go and put that load of washing on. Speaking of which...

Cheers

Brittany K.


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Gypsy Stone Dukkering

Casting the Stones

Long before the Tarot became synonymous with fortune telling, Gypsies used the natural world around them to help them see into the troubled hearts of those who came seeking knowledge and guidance.
River stones, gems, crystals, sticks, needles and bones were often used by the dunkerer [dukkerer] or palm reader.
I love using my own set of river stones that I personally hand picked and charged with healing energy.
When I read, I'm not so much telling a fortune, as looking into the heart of the energy surrounding the person I'm reading for. I believe this gives a more accurate insight into what is at the heart of a problem or situation and can provide real, down to earth ways of helping people deal with what life sometimes throws at them.
Casting the stones is something I love and I hope to continue with my readings for as long as life will allow.

Láshi Baxt Me Zhav Tute

(May Good Luck from me go with you)

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