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! 🙂

Day 18: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo & a Giveaway

Thursday, Day 18 of NaNoWriMo and I am still not up to the halfway mark with my word count. I seem to be in a less creative place in my story, too. Maybe tomorrow it will get better. I wrote 1251 words tonight, bringing my total up to 23728, which is 48% of the 50,000 words challenge. My stats tell me “At this rate you will finish on Dec 10.” I do need to step it up!

I thought I would have to post the following:

I hate to say this, but … I am still thinking regarding an idea for PiBoIdMo! It’s a good thing I am ahead of where I should be because I have nothing for today. That is NOT GOOD. If I get an idea before I quit for the night I will count it as for day 18. (Is that cheating?)

BUT, now I don’t have to say all that .. 😉 .. because a new idea just came to me. woo hoo! That makes idea 29 on day 18 of the Picture Book Idea challenge. So, just ignore the part in italics. 🙂

Check this out: http://scotiatoday.ca/nova-scotia-ns-canada/life/36-slightly-off-center/1683-happy-birthday-give-away.html

It’s a giveaway because three people in the one family are celebrating birthdays on the same upcoming weekend. I’ve added the blog to my list here, too.

Do you like to enter such contests?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 17: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Wednesday, Day 17 of NaNoWriMo and I am more behind than before. I only got 1141 words written before midnight. Inspiration was not happening until late, so I ran out of day, but it is actually better than I thought I would do. I’m up to 45%. Yay! My story has taken another turn, though. It’s like rabbit trails, I’m chasing down another one, all the while wondering what does this have to do with the main plot (do I even have a plot?) of my story? My total word count is now 22477 and I’m still not to the halfway point – short by 2523 – although in days I am past halfway. Yikes! The challenge ends in less than two weeks!

On the other hand, PiBoIdMo is coming along very well. Today (remember I’m writing Wednesday’s post even though it will post on Thursday) I came up with two ideas, which puts my total to 28. I only need two more to complete that challenge, but as I said before, I’ll keep going with that.

The great thing about PiBoIdMo is that I have discovered a community (neighbourhood) of writers. They write children’s books, where my interest lies. One writer posts prompts to inspire us, and today the one she shared really did give me an idea. Then later another writer shared something so cute, a funny photo she took of a little lizard – and I had another idea! This idea, though, really took off for me and I feel good about it. I think it would make a great picture book with some humour in it. Of course, I feel I would have to give credit by mentioning the above inspiring writer as the one who gave me the fun idea. (She said she has an idea for him too.)

I don’t know how many of my Picture Book Ideas will make good stories, but when the challenge is over I will have to go through them all and seriously work on them to see what I can do to make them book worthy.

I worked on Valley Sunshine awhile today which is one reason I didn’t get as much written for NaNo, but VS has to get completed and mailed out. Yesterday!

Do you ever get yourself overbooked with writing projects?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 16: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Tuesday, Day 16 of NaNoWriMo and PiBoIdMo, was also my birthday, although not my 16th. No, that one is long gone! 🙂 I received phone calls, cards and gifts, emails, texts, e-cards, and hugs. It’s a sweet blessing to be remembered.

My idea for Picture Book Idea Month was along the line of birthdays, rather fitting, wouldn’t you say? I’m still ahead of the game, with this idea bringing my total to 26. I really only need 4 more to win but I will continue to write at least one a day until the end of this challenge.

On the other hand, National Novel Writing Month is quickly getting away from me. I have 14 writing days left in this challenge counting today (which is already Wednesday) and I am not to the halfway point in my word count yet. 43% looks pretty good to me, though. Today I wrote 2029 words, which is not so bad. It just means that I have 28,664 more words to write to make the goal of 50,000. Think I can do it? I have to try!

A couple of times I felt that I had written myself into a corner, but then I just waited. It happened again today. Some thought had to surface eventually, which it did, and onward we forged. It is like breaking new ground since I have never done this before. My main character got angry today, and scared, panicked, jealous, annoyed .. all in one emotional day and 2000 words of story. And like me, she likes to laugh. Things strike her so funny sometimes and I find myself smiling as I’m writing it out.

My story is a bit different, unlike anything I have ever written about before. When I get stuck I just wait. The characters are always waiting to say or do something, so when it starts to happen then I start writing again. It is a mystery to me! 🙂 And actually, the story has a mystery running through it. I wonder if this will ever turn into something …

Do you write, and if so, do you think and plan it all out first? or do you write as it comes to you?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day15: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Day 15 of writing challenges has not proven to go well for me. I spent time today (besides doing some household things) working on Valley Sunshine publication, though.

Tonight I was out to the chiropractor and while waiting, and with pleasant classical music playing, I came up with two ideas for PiBoIdMo. I had noticed on the way to my appointment that the town has its lighted decorations up on the poles — snowflakes, angels, doves, stars .. and that was working around in my mind. It turned into a picture book idea. Then I had a second idea, also to do with Christmas. I don’t now if I will actually work those up into picture book manuscripts, but they count for the challenge. Now I have 25 ideas for it in 15 days, which is good since the goal is to come up with at least one a day for the 30 days of November. I like being ahead in that because I certainly am not up to speed for NaNoWriMo!

In NaNoWriMo I am still behind. To make matters worse I am so tired tonight I kept dozing off in my chair so that I only got 541 words written increasing my % by only one point to 39%. I think I could do more but I need sleep! *yawn* Hoping I can do much better tomorrow, although … I almost forgot! Tomorrow is my birthday! but I have nothing planned so I should be able to write, write, write.

Have you seen Christmas decorations up anywhere yet?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 14: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Today (Sunday) was an interesting day – even a productive one.

I have been heading up Samaritan’s Purse “Operation Christmas Child” in the fellowship where I worship on Sunday’s. It is a small fellowship but we filled almost 60 shoeboxes for children, and I’m delighted to be delivering those to the drop off this week.

Today, also, I wrote as much as I could for my NaNoWriMo challenge. I’m pleased to say that I wrote 2139 words today! Sure needed those, although as I was writing along I stopped and said, “This is boring!” But I kept going, it can be edited out later. It may work in the story with some rewriting, it may have to be cut. Again my characters are very chatty.

I got one idea for PiBoIdMo today. As I was reading a writer’s blog I was inspired with an idea for a picture book. This pushes my ideas in 14 days to 23. Maybe a couple of them will make great picture books, who knows?

Do you have any special giving plans for this Christmas season?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musing! 🙂