NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month -- a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. I must have had one huge cup of coffee before I visited that website. Whatever it was, I was driven to sign up for the challenge.

It looks like it will be fun along with being challenging. I'll just have to make it clear: No emergencies this month. If mom acts strange, it's because she wired up on caffeine trying to hit her 2,000-words-a-day goal. And remember, there's no need to call an ambulance. I'm not attached to the computer chair. It only appears that way.

Really, though, I'm up to the challenge. My idea is brewing in my head. Confidence is rising. And of course my will to achieve this goal will drive me to the finish line.

Check out this link to follow my progress:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/user/217690

The Muse 2007 Online Writer's Conference

We are almost finished the Muse conference and it has been a blast. I am learning truckloads of information. If there's any writer out there who missed it this year, I highly recommend you attend next year's. The boards are great. I've interacted with editors and fellow authors. The tips we have all learned from each other are invaluable. I enjoyed it so much, that I've already registered for the 2008 conference.

One of my favorites so far is the "Call to Action: The Writer's Adventure" workshop. I've learned so much about myself as a writer and how to defeat the struggles we writers place on ourselves.

One of the things we had to do for the workshop is write in our journals about our adventures. This has been a second blessing for me. I used to write in my journal every night since I was around ten years old. The day I married, I had stopped. I'm not sure why. Maybe it was because life changed so much or that I was too tired after a long day. Whatever it was, I hadn't journaled on a consistent basis since.

The workshop showed me how much I miss it. I forgot what it was like to write my thoughts untill I became drowsey. We've had some very tough times, our family. If ever I needed to journal, it was during the past seven years--yet I didn't.

So I owe it to this workshop that my desire is back. Thank you Beth, for relighting that spark which faded so long ago.