Interview and book-giveaway coming soon!

It is a stormy night here, snow, freezing rain, wind. Nice night to be home snuggled in where it is warm and dry.

For your information: An interview with Laura Best is in the works. Soon I will post it here for your enjoyment. Also, I will be offering a free copy of her book to someone who posts a comment on my blog in response to that interview, duplicates will not be included. I will write down all names and put all the little slips of paper into a basket, then I will have my husband draw one out. The winner will receive a copy of Bitter, Sweet – by Laura Best and donated by Nimbus Publishing. Yay!

Before the interview is posted I will fine tune the details. So stay tuned!

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 27: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Saturday, Day 27 of NaNoWriMo. Wow! What a day this has been. First of all, in the morning my husband and I went to town to the Farmers Market where I purchased three Chr istmas gifts (just couldn’t resist) after I met local author Jan L. Coates – which is why we went there today. She is delightful! She signed my copies of her newest book – A Hare In The Elephant’s Trunk – and we chatted a bit. (Actually, I’m sure I talked too much. oh dear) I urge you to check out this website: http://www.wadeng.org

I have several books I am eager to read — three books for which I will be writing reviews. I will be posting those reviews here on my blog, just as I did on October 26 after reading Max Lucado’s book – Out Live Your Life. But I am especially so looking forward to reading Jan‘s book after NaNo is over. I heard an interview on the radio several weeks ago and was touched by the story, built around a true and tragic story. I will probably write about her book here, too.

When we returned home I got down to writing. For hours I sat writing, getting up to walk around or stretch, and to make myself a lunch in the middle of the afternoon. Just before midnight I punched in my new numbers. I’d managed to write 3525 words today! Yay! That takes me up to 38,527 words written for this challenge so far. Now it feels more as if I can win this NaNo challenge, whereas I was beginning to doubt myself the last few days. Now I have it 78% completed! Almost 11,500 words have yet to be written – in three days – but now it is reachable again. I just have to aim for 4000 words a day (which I haven’t done yet!) and I’ll have it, with extras as security. 🙂 Piece ‘o cake, right?… Right?

An idea for PiBoIdMo came through right around midnight. I now have 40 ideas for that challenge. It has been fun in a different way doing PiBo.

I believe I can call myself a writer after all this, what do you think?

What does it take for you to see yourself as a writer? Or if you are not a writer, then what makes you believe in your talents and abilities?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Day 26: NaNoWriMo & PiBoIdMo

Friday, Day 26 of NaNoWriMo was a poor writing day for me. To start things off I got maybe four hours of sleep last night which would have been longer except for the fact that I was up early this morning to go to town with my sister. I had errands (banking, shopping) to do and she did some shopping, and it took longer than we had anticipated so I didn’t get back home until middle of the afternoon. I was SO tired and my writing didn’t amount to much tonight, but in looking back over my daily totals I discovered that it wasn’t my worst day. I haven’t let myself not write something each day because I didn’t want to get out of the habit of writing and into the habit of skipping days. As it is I am going to be doing major catch-up soon.

I have the NaNo challenge 71% completed, having added 768 words today which brings my written total to 35002 words. I had to get it over 35000 before leaving this for a longer sleep tonight. (It’s time to quit when I keep nodding off with pen in hand!)

When we were in town today we drove past the car lot which had been one of the sets used in a Jason Priestly movie last year. We were commenting on the look of it today, they had some strange goings-on there, and I joked about it – then realized that from what I said .. oh wow! A picture book idea for PiBoIdMo!

It’s amazing to me how so much around me can be converted into picture book ideas. (Thanks Tara and friends!) You can check out what I am talking about all the time by looking here: http://taralazar.wordpress.com

And before I quit I just want to say that I’m looking forward to tomorrow morning as I will be going to the Farmers Market in Wolfville to meet Jan Coates, author of A Hare in the Elephant’s Trunk. She is going to be signing copies of her book there and I’ll be in line.

Have you met any authors and did you get a signed copy of that author’s book?

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! 🙂