I Won NaNoWriMo

Yes, you read the title correctly.  I am quite pleased with myself.  Oh, and I did it with one word to spare, too!  Not too bad.

This is my second year attempting NaNo, and my second year as a winner.  Several things that I can compare about the two years are as follows:

• I actually had a plot this year.  Granted, it was a short plot and didn't get me to 50k, but it's one more plot than I had last year!
• Last year I was in a totally awesome group on Homeschoolblogger.com where we could talk and share about NaNo and other random things.  This year I was part of a totally awesome group with a total of five people, where we talked about NaNo and other random things.  I really miss the old group, but I couldn't dispense with the new.
• Last year's novel was about a small boy caught up in a mystery that basically revolved around child labor and other similar topics that I tried not to touch upon.  I still haven't edited it.  This year's novel is about a young man, a prince, who can only think about trying to please his awful and slightly abusive father (The way that sounds, it makes it seem like a really horrible thing!  I mean, it is, but it's definitely not anything intense.  Please don't mistake that.), and misses a lot of other things in life because this is his one and only focus and drive.  I...still haven't edited it. (Sorry, that's too much to expect from a person!)
• Last year?  Some NaNo people wore Viking hats, I'm pretty sure.  They did that this year, too.  I'm not sure what the whole Viking thing is about.
• This year I am going to get get the CreateSpace proof copy, or whatever it is.  This means that I will get it no matter what, even if I don't have a second draft finished.
• Last year I wrote 50,000 words in a month.  I did it again this year.  It was hard work, and I'm a little disappointed with my novel, but I can't describe how awesome it is to win.  I had forgotten that from last year.  I feel like I'm walking on clouds.

Dev, Thanksgiving, and an Etsy or Two

I really should be writing right now.  In my novel, that is.  It's almost 2:00 pm, I have approximately 36,000 words, and tomorrow will be a big day getting ready for Thanksgiving.  Yet here I am, choosing instead to update you on things you may or may not want to know.

My novel is progressing, although not nearly as well as it had in the beginning.  Some of you seasoned writers and/or NaNoer's may be saying, "Uh, huh.  That's typical."  However, it was unusual for me to be so organized and inspired in the first part of the month!  I am only now seeming to run out of creative juices, because I feel as though I don't have time to work out the fine details, which in many case make or break a tale.  Also, I find that my very rough plot outline is fast coming to the end, and I still have 14,000 words to go.  Depresssing?  Perhaps not.  Discouraging?  Slightly.

The bright spot in the sky is that I am enjoying my novel more than I had expected to when I had first headed into this month.  In many ways the story has fleshed itself out in unexpected ways.  I had no idea that girl named Babbly (No reference to her vocal speed or lack of substance intended!  She is a very nice girl!) would pop up in this otherwise unromantic story.  I also had been quite unaware of the fact that my main character, Dev, had an uncle that works in the prison of Torbin Car, Elldyria's capital city.

On the other hand, much of what I had wanted to include has been glaringly forgotten, which may add a few more words if I'm desperate.  For instance, I neglected to create enough hype and reasonings for the antagonist's nickname, The Tongue Lord.  Is this sounding weird enough yet?  Another thing that I forgot to include was the fact that Dev is usually the undefeated champion in the country.  Yeah, there's a lot of cliches that need to be worked on, but hey, just remember that my bedtime has basically been 2 am since November 1st.

We are hosting the family Thanksgiving at our house which means a major clean, preparation for any of the foods that we have opted to make, and getting creative with decorations and entertainment.  It is work, but it is enjoyable work, and I am looking forward to tomorrow and the next day with nearly all of the excitement of the four year old who will be begging to work alongside me.  I am also looking forward to seeing a few family members that I haven't seen in quite some time.  Yes, Thanksgiving is definitely a time to look forward to, as long as I don't eat too much food, which will almost certainly happen.

I have recently added a new item to my Etsy shop!  I still haven't decided on something that I would like to make consistently, and be known for, but for now I am enjoying my odds and ends.  Maybe someday odds and ends will turn into a full blown product line!  Make sure to check out all of the two items I currently have listed.  You don't want to miss anything! Just kidding, of course.






Although this post has been entirely made of random things, here is one final random thing to leave you, my dear and loyal readers with.  For, if you are reading this then you certainly are dear and loyal, since I don't post consistently or anything of real consequence.  The movie Cranford certainly grows on a person, even though I have only seen the whole thing through once.  My favorite character is Mr. Carter, who is really nice and everything, but in the end dies.  It's very tragic.

I'll go write in my novel now.

NaNoWriMo: Day 17

Alright, this is my first NaNo post of the year, I think. It might be a little odd to randomly decide to post in the middle of the month, but I've got to update sometime, right?

My novel is about Prince Dev, who has spent almost all of his life trying to prove himself to his Father, and be accepted by him.  Those who truly love Dev had tried to persuade him that he can't be so obsessed with this one thing, but it's useless (of course!).  It takes a new friend, a huge mistake, and the loss of both his father and brother, to make Dev realize that there is more to life than what he had been living and believing.

Amazingly enough, I actually had a basic plot written out for this novel, and I finished it just barely in time for NaNo to begin.  As I have gone on writing, I have been surprised as many plot twists have almost fallen place, and I have been inspired right when I needed to be.

As far as word count goes, I have fallen behind by about 5k, after not writing for a few nights.  Oops.  I'm working on catching it back up, and I still consider myself to be in the way of winning.  If I do, this will be my second, complete first draft!

Are you doing NaNoWriMo?  If so, how is it going for you?

A Special Friend

I would like to take a moment to introduce you to a friend. He's somewhat small, and oddly-colored. Kind of like a poisonous spider, but not. In fact, he's a lion.

He's a very friendly lion, though, as evidenced by this picture that was taken on a whim.  Lion is the one on the left.  The darling on the right is Pig, a close friend of Lion's.  I just love how natural their smiles are!

If you ask Lion and Pig to tell you about themselves, they can tell you that they were born at the Handsewn Hospital, that they never change their clothes, and they love to eat peanuts and candy canes.

If you ask me to tell you about them, I will tell you that they love to climb trees, have cheerful personalities, and hearts that are overflowing with sunshine and love. When you run into one of these guys on the street, you     can't help but be blessed. 

Who has touched YOUR life recently?

My Bug

I've been meaning to post about my birthday present for quite some time now, and just finally got around to it, and the internet finally cooperated!  

For my birthday, I got my very first car, a 1971 Volkswagon Bug. Was I thrilled? You bet.  I had to learn to drive a stick, but it's been worth it, because I love that little bug.

Her name is Etsy, by the way. Inspired by the license plate which says "ETZ".  We thought it was appropriate.

She doesn't like going up hills, but speeds along like a vintage dream when on level ground. Oh, and Celtic Thunder is the perfect music for cruising. I've decided their "Appalachian Round Up" is Etsy's theme song.  

I love all of the vintage-y-ness that this bug seems. I love it's wacky color, I love it's cute tires, I love it's big steering wheel, I love the little metal strip that runs down it's side, and I love the way it makes people happy.

Oh yes, did I tell you? Or did you already know? Bugs make people smile.

Bronco's Yarn...Not!

Ok, so the title may be a bit odd or misleading, especially since I dislike sports.  However, I do like yarn, and on Thursday last, when I went to the Local Yarn Shop (LYS), I really wanted to buy something. Anything. Even if it was something small.  For those of you who don't know, LYS can be somewhat expensive.

So, I looked around, and finally settled on the clearance shelf, which was small, but there, right on top, rested a cute skein of orange and blue yarn! I snatched it up, with less grace than a lioness grabbing her dinner, and checked the price tag like a miser. $7. I checked the yardage like a dutiful bargain hunter. 350 yds. Well, that's pretty good.

Orginally this lovely gem was $24 and I got it for less than $7 because it was also %40 off! Yes, it was a good day. Add to that the fact that I got Fiddler on the Roof at the thrift store, in lovely condition, and I was one happy girl.

Now, alas I must figure out what I want to do with it! I was so dazzled by the color combinations, that I didn't realize that it was a little more variegated than like. Not to mention that it does look a little bit more like a college, sports, team's colors. So, do you know of any good patterns for a lovely variegated yarn? I'm thinkin' socks.

Socks are nice.