Tag: novel

NaNoWriMo: Day One

~ JodiLea

It’s a gorgeous autumn day up here in the Sierra and my plan is to work on my novel out on the deck, enjoying the fresh air. Also, to get out of view of my messy house, dishes and quilting to do, Christmas shopping, and the bi-monthly dealing with the hospital that shall remain nameless, that keeps billing us instead of our insurance.

They are making me go Pirate – Aaaarrrggghhh!

November comes at just the right time for me to finish my first draft and let it ‘breathe’ in a drawer for a few weeks before I edit. I have a deadline to get a decent second draft finished by Martin Luther King’s Birthday week-end.   2013-Participant-Square-Button

While I wait for the ‘breathing’ novel, I will try to finish the first draft of a different novel (one I worked on last year during the NaNoWriMo craziness).

So… Not Pretending will be pretty quiet this month. I may – no promises – toss out an excerpt here and there from previously mentioned novels.. Just to keep my little corner of cyberspace from growing cobwebs.

I’ll leave you with this quote:

If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on
walking.

— Buddhist Proverb

TTFN,

JL

What Happened to Football?

~ JodiLea

We’re 4 games into the season and I haven’t posted a word about it. Not only is this is unprecedented, it’s downright scary. This season I am one happy camper – the team and coach Harbaugh are balanced and awesome. Could it be that I’m finally learning to relax? Nah…

My family is puzzled that there have been no posts about the temp referees I was screaming at. Or the game calls that caused coach to foam at the mouth. No, I am not exaggerating.  I’m paying attention to all of that, I’m just too exhausted to write about it. Or much of anything else.

It’s my novels fault. I want to finish the draft and I only have one month (before NaNoWriMo) to get there. In November I’m going to write a different story, and I want to put the one I am writing (sick of) to bed for awhile. This morning I am possibly avoiding the thing by chatting with you guys. I’m at a tough transition point now and things are not flowing, so I’m being pouty about it. Sorry!

Anyway, I will be posting here and there because you know I can’t resist. But not as much as I have been. You may have noticed the dwindling rate of my posts already. Be assured that I won’t forsake you, dear readers! Even though it may seem that I’m ignoring you – I am not.  In fact, it’s possible you may be able to catch an excerpt of said novel someday, if you hang in there with me.

PLEASE?!

😉

It’s Starting To Look a Lot Like Retirement

~ JodiLea

I have 8 more working days left at my day-job. I packed up some stuff from my office and brought it home today (where I had to pack it again …). I try to bring something home everyday, so moving out won’t be such a big deal the last couple days.

My employee badge was exchanged for a temporary one, that says: “EXPIRES 19-JUL-2012” – this is if I don’t  turn the thing in (badge) when I exit the place on the 19th. If I want to sneak past the guard at the gate and get in illegally. Like that will occur to me. I have gone through that gate for 28+ years now, and I’m ready to stop.

I want to do my own things. Like write a novel (or two), and at least one screenplay. I sometimes fantasize about Best Seller lists and the Oscars. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?   But my number one thrill is getting so involved in the story that I am there, and it unfolds right before my eyes as I write it down.

Old Notebooks

I have a drawer full of old notebooks with handwritten stories, beginnings of novels & poems. I wrote them before people had computers with Microsoft on them. Before spell check.

I also want to finish up other kinds of projects started long ago:  quilts, rugs, a family cookbook. And who knows what new bees are yet to fly up my bonnet! I think all these changes at once are going to be an adventure… 😉

photo credit: aepoc via photo pin cc