a) I need to find my t-shirt that says: I DON’T DO COSTUMES. Even though that message is a little less true than it used to be, as witness this:
There; I hope you appreciate that this is the first costume I’ve worn in probably twenty years. Maybe thirty. We all dressed up for a “meet the breeds” event. I am actually quite tempted to get this costume out and wear it to work tomorrow — as an excuse to bring a dog to work! I think that would be fun, and not TOO distracting, since Pippa or Adora would pretty well settle down after a little while and just go to sleep. I admit the puppies would be more trouble!
b) Gosh, look, the election’s right around the corner! Actually, I have been a real political junkie for the past month, following all the polls and checking in on political blogs several times a day. I will be very, very happy after the election’s over. Provided my guy wins, of course.
c) Not trying to imply this is equally important, but HEY, LOOK, THE NEW BUJOLD IS ABOUT TO ARRIVE ON DOORSTEPS EVERYWHERE. Can’t wait! This will certainly interrupt my work on my own WIP. One must have priorities! Actually, I am glad to report that the WIP is moving right along. I told my agent I’d probably have it back to her before Christmas, but I am now betting I will turn it around before Dec 1. I worked out the next bit of the new scene this morning while walking dogs! Yay! I think I now know ALL of the rest of the new parts AND how to link them up to the old parts. Double yay! Fortunately, the new Bujold will not arrive until I have had time to make sure I know where my own ms. is going.
d) And . . . NaNoWriMo is upon us! That, I really had forgotten about until I saw this post.
I am actually pretty impressed with anybody who writes 50,000 words in one month. I’ve done it . . . um . . . three times? I think it’s three. As, of course, part of writing a longer work, not as a deliberate NaNoWriMo thing. But I therefore know that it can be done, but it’s not a piece of cake. It’s a little more than 1500 words per day, which is about five pages a day, which doesn’t sound like that much until you try to do it every single day. Apparently nearly 15% of those who start NaNoWriMo succeed, which is awesome.
I enjoyed the NaNoWriMo advice at the post above. For once I agree that writing an outline might would be helpful, because if you don’t know where you’re going, good luck keeping to that kind of output. It’s important not to stall out in a plot hole if you’re going to make it to 50,000 by the end of the month.
The read-before-you-write advice wouldn’t work for me AT ALL, though, because I know from plenty of personal experience that I will DEFINITELY finish any book I pick up, even if that means totally blowing my writing minimum. No fiction while trying to make a deadline: it’s a rule. Luckily, I don’t have a deadline right now, so the Bujold is definitely on my read-it-instantly list as soon as it arrives.
Anybody ever tackle the NaNoWriMo challenge? Anybody tempted to tackle it this time?
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That is a GORGEOUS costume. I like the tapestry (?)needlepoint (?) in the background, too.
Elaine T. (favorite color is green)
Thanks! I got it from this online costume superstore. It was not at all expensive, but I must admit that they KEEP SENDING ME EMAILS now. I don’t think they realize that they have already filled my costume needs for a decade or so.
That is indeed a gorgeous tapestry. The cavalier club of the area brings it out whenever we get a chance. And you know what those stone walls behind me are made of? Painted refrigerator boxes. They looked great. I wish I could take credit for them, but it was someone else who did that.