NANOWRIMO REPORT #1

Just wanted to share this cartoon. I thought this was rather appropriate for my personal report. Compare our numbers. They all want to sit by me. :-)

We have decided that Mondays in November will be our report and discussion/reaction to National Novel Writing Month. This year we all decided to commit to the program. Of all the kindred hearts, I am probably the least likely one to do the first report.

First of all, I came into this project kicking and screaming and referring to it as the NONO project. Second, I am not a fiction writer and am not ever thinking God will want me to be a fiction writer. Third, I am very undisciplined as a writer. I know that the "true" writer sets goals and writes daily. To accomplish the goal of 50,000 words in one month, it seems to me that a person will need to write every day. So far, and it is now Nov.8 (eight days into this project), I have skipped two days. When we started, Johnnie informed me (so I wouldn't have to do the math) that I would need to write 1666 words each day. So as of midnight tonight (Sunday,November 8,2009) I should have written 13,328 words if I am to be on schedule. I am 4,828 words behind already, and this is only the first week.

Am I discouraged? Not at all! I always work better under pressure, and I keep telling myself I am the one kindred heart who has more time than all of the others. I am the retired one.(truly that is a joke. No retired person ever has enough time.) So, what is my plan for the next week. I plan to write 2,000 words each day. Will that catch me up? I didn't do the math, so I am not sure, but it will certainly bring me closer won't it? Of course, I do get sidetracked by many things, but I am determined to keep working at this each day.

My approach this past week has been to think about my topic during the day as I am going to and fro. Then in the evening, I sit in my recliner and write until I get tired, go to sleep, or run out of words. I admit with some chagrin that two nights this week sleep has come first. My writing method is what I refer to as "stream of consciousness" writing. I do have a plan and a very loose outline, but basically I am just sharing the great wisdom of 72 years of living, 55 married to the same man, 25 teaching secondary English and 50 years of raising children, having and being an in-law and 25 years of being a grandmother and just recently a great-grandmother. (please note the term great wisdom is certainly written with tongue in cheek.)

My working title is JUST THINKING (a takeoff from JUST WALKING) and basically that is what I am doing as I write. The first week I wrote about marriage, parenting, and in-lawing.

A very brief sample from one evening when I wrote about marriage:

My parents were in love with one another. It was a fact of life for me. I never questioned it. We never talked about it and I didn’t realize the importance of love between parents until I was much older. Perhaps not even until I began to love a man myself.

I intend to continue with this topic for a few more nights and then will move into discussion of the church and working in the church with God's people. I will report about that next Monday. Until then, I urge all the NaNoWriMo writers to forge ahead. Don't be discouraged. God will honor all our work if motives are an honest effort for Him.

REPORT FOR WEEK ONE:

JEANIE 11002 words Jeanie is writing about clouds.

JOHNNIE 8621 words She can't decide which of her characters is the protagonist (yet)

LAURA 6635 words Laura received an e-mail that has helped her with characters.

CLELLA 6502 words

KAREN 3345 words Karen has been visiting family in N. Carolina (enjoy)

Still Determined

Clella