Day 25: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Belated HAPPY THANKSGIVING to any American readers of these pages.

Thursday, Day 25 of NaNoWriMo was not as productive as it should have been, but I did write 2055 words. This brings my total to 34234 and I have the challenge 69% completed. Stats says I will finish on December 7, so with only 5 days left in November it’s going to be very interesting to see how much I manage to write on each of those days. Much of three of them will be taken up with other things. The pressure is on!

For PiBoIdMo I came up with idea #38. I had sent an email to two friends and made a silly comment in it, then thought … oh my! I just came up with an idea for PiBoIdMo! I have learned to listen more to myself through this challenge.

I miss reading. I have been spending so much time writing for NaNo and PiBo and I’ve purposely stayed away from the books that I thought would influence my own writing. So, I miss reading! When December comes I plan to devour some books. 🙂

How about you? Which do you prefer to do, read or write?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 24: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Wednesday, Day 24 of NaNoWriMo was a good day. Today it rained and then snowed a little more, so I didn’t hang the laundry out to dry – which I prefer, but it takes more time to do. That just meant I had more time to do the ‘writerly‘ things I enjoy. So, I got Valley Sunshine all printed off on my cantankerous duplicating machine, collated into 63 copies, stapled, stuffed into previously prepared envelopes, sealed ’em up ready to go … but not in time for today’s mail. My sister stopped in and offered to take them with her to mail in the morning, so I kept the local ones to go here and she took the rest. Yay! They will all be on their way tomorrow!

With Valley Sunshine done I was able to start my NaNo writing earlier in the evening. Today I wrote 2849 words, taking my total to 32178. Now I have the challenge 65% completed! That is encouraging to me. With only 6 writing days left in the challenge I have to write almost 3000 words each day to win. Sadly, according to my stats on my NaNo page, at this rate I will finish on Dec 8. Okayyy, NOT acceptable!

I’m still getting ideas for PiBoIdMo. This afternoon I told my sister that I had yet to come up with an idea for it today, and she said “snowflake”. (It was snowing at the time.) I said, it has to be something different, I’m sure that’s been done to death. Then an idea instantly dropped into my mind, a storyline to do with snowflakes but something different. TaDa! Idea #36 which I wrote down and added to later as the story evolved. Then on Twitter I read something that gave me another idea, although it may be rather distorted. Some of my ideas are lame, some are crazy mixed-up ones, some have amounted to nothing more than a title as yet, but a few just might make it.

I’ve been really enjoying all this writing. It’s amazing that the month is nearly over already. NaNoWriMo has allowed me to see what my mind, given the chance, can create with words – beyond what I have ever attempted before. PiBoIdMo has been fun and very inspirational for me. I am hoping that some of the people I have ‘met’ through it will be people I can stay in touch with somehow. You know, ‘writerly’ types. 😉

Another bonus for me is that I have discovered the blogs and websites of some very talented people who love to write. Some have been published and some are still on the long journey to reach that goal.

If you are a creative person, have you had a chance to enjoy the company of like-minded creatives?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 23: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Tuesday, Day 23 of NaNoWriMo looks better than the past several days. I managed to write 1768 words but I started a little earlier this evening, too. I don’t know why I end up writing in detail what seems like tangents to the story, you know … added story lines that don’t seem to have much at all to do with the main story. But, this is going to work out, right? It’s all going to come together and make sense. (Trying to convince myself.)

My total word count for NaNo is now 29,329, which means that in the remaining 7 days I have to write 20,671 words! Yikes! Let’s see … that makes an average of … 2953 words a day. Oh drat, I’ve not written that many in one day through this whole challenge — yet. Looks as if that is going to have to change! The fun thing is that I have completed 59% of the 50,000 words!

PiBoIdMo is still looking good. I came up with two more ideas today for that challenge. Granted, they aren’t very good ones and would need a lot of work, but .. they still count. I now have 35 ideas for PiBo.

Today I also worked on Valley Sunshine. I finally have this issue completed and next have to print it all off on my duplicating machine, get the copies all put together and stapled .. and then into the mail they go! Yay! Hoping I can do all that tomorrow and then have my evening to write, write, write for NaNo!

When I get all this writing done – this phase of it – I am really looking forward to getting back into reading. I have such an accumulation of books waiting for me. And I have some to write reviews for as well.

What are you reading? Are you finding any quality time for that?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 22: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Monday, Day 22 of NaNoWriMo found me struggling a little with this story. I have ideas to put into it but tying it all together is the trick. I have to get a move on, too, because I only have eight days left and I’m over 9000 words behind the suggested word total for this date. Today I wrote only 1036 words. Obviously I am going to have to start earlier in the evening or take a whole day and just write. Hopefully, I can do that soon – ideally this week. I don’t want to have to do a major catch-up the last two days of this challenge.

My total now for NaNo is 27561, bringing it to 56% completed.

Today I sent the photo of myself for the bug caricature drawing that I won in PiBoIdMo. I look forward to seeing what the illustrator does with it. 🙂 [Note November 20’s post: Day 19: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo; aka: what bug would you be?]

I wasn’t going to spend a lot of time trying to come up with a new idea for PiBo since I have already ‘won’ that challenge, but an idea popped into my head, anyway. It’s something I had thought of months ago, but I’d forgotten about it. I think it’s okay to add an ‘old’ idea at this point since it’s idea #33 and 30 are needed to win. 🙂

So, are you ahead or behind or just on time with your projects?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 21: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Sunday, Day 21 of NaNoWriMo and PiBoIdMo: Sunday is always a busy day for me, time away from writing, computer, home. I got up early this morning and spent some time reading my Bible, then we got ready to go pick up our grandson to go to fellowship with me. He enjoys the worship music and Sunday School. This morning he was very squirmy – his money for the offering kept falling out of his pocket, his papers and book (to keep him occupied if needed) fell onto the floor when he was enjoying the music, then his crayons followed suit so that he finally decided to pick them all up and sit there and colour. That was nice for awhile. 🙂 He is so darling.

I think I neglected to mention in last night’s post that we got snow in the afternoon so that I was ‘encouraged’ to get out my winter boots. It was cold today, icy and windy, so boots and winter jacket it was! Looks as if winter weather has arrived. (I’m not complaining but .. blah! and brrr! and — blah!)

This evening (Sunday) I did not get into Valley Sunshine but I did work on my NaNo writing. I’m continuing my wondering about how I am ever going to sort this story out and get it on paper (I’m writing longhand) in no less than 50,000 words before November 30 comes and goes, taking with it my last chance to complete this challenge for a win. Completing is winning and I must complete! I did manage to squeak out 1298 words, taking my total count to 26525 and my completion up to 54%. [just a note here: yesterday the counter finally showed my % and it was over 50% to 51%. No big deal? Well, you try writing in this pressure cooker and see how much 1% point means! 🙂 ]

Tonight in my NaNo story there was another interesting little extra that got written in, another little thing that adds to the mystery and probably aiding in the final solving of it. I think. Maybe. Quite possibly. 🙂

PiBoIdMo is not something I have to be concerned about anymore since I met the goal, but I am still trying to come up with an idea a day until that challenge ends. Today’s was not coming until just past midnight, after I had posted my word count for NaNoWriMo, but I did get an idea which I’m counting for Sunday’s. For some reason I remembered a young bluejay that was snubbed by his siblings .. and I had my story idea.

Have a great week. What’s on your agenda?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 20: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Saturday, Day 20 and I finally made it over the 25,000 word mark in NaNoWriMo. I only brought my total up by 480 words today, but it’s better than nothing. Now I’m really at the 50% completion point.

I’m also at a place now in my story where I have to figure out some time lines so that things make sense. Having never written a story this long I am challenged with how to bring it along toward the end. It feels as if I’m at the top of the mountain now, the climb is over and I have to ~~start~~ write down the other side. But, I also have the conflicts coming up, two – maybe three – intertwining things that will add into the story. They have been sort of set up and are beginning to build.

Even though I reached the goal for PiBoIdMo I can either continue coming up with ideas for it or I can start working on ones I already have. Idea 31 happened today, although perhaps not a very good one. I do have a few in my collection over the past 20 days that appeal to me and just might make good picture books. 🙂

Tonight my husband and I went with four family members to a live theatre presentation of ‘Cinderella’ as you have never seen it before, or ever will again! So funny and well done.

Tomorrow I am off with grandson to Sunday fellowship meeting and Sunday School, and afterward I may be attending Alpha. When I get home I will have to work on Valley Sunshine to try to finish getting it together. I really want to get it into the mail on Monday – and still write more in my NaNo challenge each day, too. I’m feeling the pressure.

My question to you today is: What’s the last live theatre presentation you saw?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 19: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo; aka: what bug would you be?

253 That’s how many more words I needed to make it to the halfway point exactly. 253 more words and I would have written 25,000 words of the 50,000 goal. But, alas! The midnight gong sounded somewhere out there and Friday was gone. Just like that. Gone! *poof*

Okay, so for Friday, Day 19, I wrote 1019 words to make a total of 24747. The exciting thing is that my NaNo widget shows that I have written 50% of my “novel.” Yay! For me that is quite an accomplishment to date, but I am faced with the fact that I still have half of the writing to do in less than two weeks. Eleven days, actually. Eleven days to write another 25,253 words! Yikes! Can I do it??

I have been working on Valley Sunshine publication today so that is what took writing time away from NaNo, but VS is almost done. Then I can devote more time to complete the challenge. It’s all important.

Now, PiBoIdMo is another matter entirely. I was trying to come up with an idea for it when I looked in my binder to remind myself of how many more I need to win this challenge, and I made a wonderful discovery. I had already written one down for today! Having done it very early in the day, I promptly forgot about it. 🙂 And, I now have 30 ideas! DONE!

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you! Tara (originator of PiBoIdMo) has guest bloggers on her site for inspiration for those of us who are participating in her challenge. Some of them offer prizes if we comment on what they have written. I have been doing that on some of them. Well, this afternoon Tara let me know that I won a prize from one of the guest bloggers! I’m delighted! He (Neil Numberman) illustrates a writer‘s (Aaron Reynolds) books, and what I won is a drawing. Their books are stories about adventurous bugs, like fly detectives and such. Joey Fly Private Eye. Cute, huh? So what I have to do is send them a picture of myself and Neil will draw a bug caricature of me! lol Can you imagine that? I think it’s great. Now, what bug will they see me as? hmmm

So, my burning question to you today is: If you were a bug what one do you think you would be? 🙂

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂