My 1920s costume. Yes, I made it. No, I didn't wear it on Halloween. The end of October means a couple of things to me.
Halloween. I'm not going to lie, Halloween gives me anxiety. I'm not sure where this comes from, but I get very anxious wondering what I should dress up as for Halloween, and if I should even bother thinking about it, since I haven't even decided if I'm going to go to any parties or not. This isn't like Labor Day or Memorial Day, where the holiday happens and you don't have to plan for it. You really have to plan for Halloween. Costumes take time and planning. And since I still harbor feelings of inadequacy stemming from being different as a kid, I have to have a "cool" costume. Plus I wear glasses. That means no masks, no makeup on my face, nothing that people might not "get", and nothing that will make it difficult to talk, see, eat, sit, and won't make me look like a moron outside on the street. I like Halloween "cute". Yes, this is stressful. No, I don't know what I'm going to be this year. Yes, I'm a lunatic.
Halloween. I'm not going to lie, Halloween gives me anxiety. I'm not sure where this comes from, but I get very anxious wondering what I should dress up as for Halloween, and if I should even bother thinking about it, since I haven't even decided if I'm going to go to any parties or not. This isn't like Labor Day or Memorial Day, where the holiday happens and you don't have to plan for it. You really have to plan for Halloween. Costumes take time and planning. And since I still harbor feelings of inadequacy stemming from being different as a kid, I have to have a "cool" costume. Plus I wear glasses. That means no masks, no makeup on my face, nothing that people might not "get", and nothing that will make it difficult to talk, see, eat, sit, and won't make me look like a moron outside on the street. I like Halloween "cute". Yes, this is stressful. No, I don't know what I'm going to be this year. Yes, I'm a lunatic.
The word count. But the other thing that the end of October means to me is much brighter (although also creates a certain amount of anxiety). It's none other than NaNoWriMo. That's short for National Novel Writing Month. And it's the month that is set aside for all novelists-to-be to work on their manuscripts and furiously write 50,000 words before the clock strikes midnight on December 1. For anyone not doing the math, that's 1,666 words every day. Including Thanksgiving Day. That's a lot of words. But it's also a great achievement. I've participated in the challenge at least 3 times, and only once did I make it to 50K. And that, my friends, is how Buena Vista was born. The book ended up being longer, of course, but it was already over halfway done in one month. The other half took a grueling 3 years to finish, but who's counting?
Some might ask why I would subject myself to such madness. Can't you just write normal, like everyone else? I can hear them saying it in their heads. I can hear you, too. But the truth is, I am motivated my challenges. And deadlines. And this has both. I have also discovered that the folks at the non-profit that is NaNoWriMo (check it out, they do some great stuff) has created a community that is supportive and wonderful, full of authors and hobbyists just trying to get to 50K. Some people are veterans, while others are newbies. I still consider myself a newbie, since I've only "won" once, but I'll keep doing it.
So what am I working on this year? I'm working on another YA novel about a young girl who is sent to live with her weird, eccentric and single aunt for the summer. No, it isn't fantasy. Although with a log line like that, it does sound like it is, doesn't it? Maybe that's what I should figure out on a different book. But not this one. Anyway, I'm still outlining (yes, I outline. It is the cornerstone of being able to finish), but I have high hopes for this one, and I'm excited about it. It's called Summer of Cake. I'll keep you updated as I go along during the month through my newsletter. If you haven't signed up for it yet, you can do so here.
So, over the next anxiety-ridden week, I'll be planning. Planning my costume and my book. What could be better, right?
Some might ask why I would subject myself to such madness. Can't you just write normal, like everyone else? I can hear them saying it in their heads. I can hear you, too. But the truth is, I am motivated my challenges. And deadlines. And this has both. I have also discovered that the folks at the non-profit that is NaNoWriMo (check it out, they do some great stuff) has created a community that is supportive and wonderful, full of authors and hobbyists just trying to get to 50K. Some people are veterans, while others are newbies. I still consider myself a newbie, since I've only "won" once, but I'll keep doing it.
So what am I working on this year? I'm working on another YA novel about a young girl who is sent to live with her weird, eccentric and single aunt for the summer. No, it isn't fantasy. Although with a log line like that, it does sound like it is, doesn't it? Maybe that's what I should figure out on a different book. But not this one. Anyway, I'm still outlining (yes, I outline. It is the cornerstone of being able to finish), but I have high hopes for this one, and I'm excited about it. It's called Summer of Cake. I'll keep you updated as I go along during the month through my newsletter. If you haven't signed up for it yet, you can do so here.
So, over the next anxiety-ridden week, I'll be planning. Planning my costume and my book. What could be better, right?
RSS Feed
