I'm going to complain.. feel free to ignore me...

There aren't enough hours in the day and I'm not finding any time to write. I have committed to doing the NaNoWriMo (national novel writing month) but tonight I missed the first meeting of our local group because Bob had to work late and I was just too tired to do anything social. I don't' have to be involved in the group to write a novel in a month, but it definitely helps to have people to suffer with.

This will be the third year I've attempted NaNoWriMo and I've never completed the marathon. In fact I quit before I even got started last year. November was a very bad month for us. By the first week I had been so overwhelmed by the events unfolding in my house that I was only able to live minute to minute. I am better prepared this year but I hadn't expected to be working all day, or to have family visiting the week before and after Thanksgiving, or to be dealing with the worry of Ian's imminent melt-down.

But... these are excuses. I have a book to write. It's not even a big book. It's about 120 pages. That's only four pages a day. It is an achievable goal if I can stay motivated. IF!

I think I can, I think I can...

Tonight I'm taking the first chapter of my first book to the writer's workshop to be critiqued. It's a funny experience, both exhilarating and frightening. Every time I take something to critique I get very anxious. Will this be the time that they all decide I'm not really a writer and escort me out? (Although I'm not sure they really could escort me out of Barnes and Noble.) Maybe they will just turn away, shunning me for my lack of talent, or chase me from the table shouting "Hack! Hack!" or worst of all.. just laugh?

In order to build up my courage, I submitted the chapter to my in-house revision staff, better known as Zane, my fourteen year old son, and his girlfriend. Although they were supposed to be studying history they agreed to read for me IF I would make them kool-aid. There is something ironic about being required to perform motherly duties in order to get opinions on my attempt to do something non-motherly. They pronounced it "good" and "worth an A" and then Zane went on to ask me a few questions about the setting and the motivations of the antagonist. I expected a grunt from the boy and a giggle from the girl but I got so much more. I actually ended up running back to my computer to change a few things.

Amazing, isn't it? The boy I taught to read is now helping me learn to write.

A Quote...

Never again clutter your days or nights with so many menial and unimportant things that you have no time to accept a real challenge when it comes along. This applies to play as well as work. A day merely survived is no cause for celebration. You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine. No more busy work. No more hiding from success. Leave time, leave space, to grow. Now. Now! Not tomorrow!
Og Mandino -