OOooookay, so I lied.

I have decided that writing under deadlines and pressure bothers me.

I like to take my time with my characters and write and edit at my own pace; sometimes I work all night, sometimes I work a couple hours, sometimes I read what I've written and mull it over in my mind.

SO, I have decided that NaNoWriMo is not for me.

I had some fun with my beginning idea, and I may go back and add to the the 20 or so pages I've been working on, but frankly... for me it's about quality not quantity.

There is something about being required to post daily word counts and the graph of measurement that NaNoWriMo uses to track "progress," that bothers me.

I spoke to an incredible author about my feelings concerning this irritation and he agreed with me.

Yes my friends. T.A. Barron thought that I should simply allow my fingers to follow my heart.

So, poems I can flit about and write quickly on command; long ones even.

Novels and books? No.

I may work more on the NaNoWriMo piece I started. I like the idea. It's fun.

However, I am not going to feel guilty and coerced into putting crapola on the page just so I can update a meaningless "word count," and "win," at the end of the month because I met a goal set by someone else.

Don't get me wrong, I have a SUPER AWESOME FRIEND who participated in NaNoWriMo last year, and she's doing it again this year and loving it.

To Leauxra, I say: BRAVO my dear! YOU ROCK MY SOCKS and I hope to read your November novel.

For me though, I feel pressure, and so if I finish according to their timeline: Great. If not, well, that's great too.

So now I leave you with a poem that I wrote and posted on Soul Pancake about an amazing picture prompt (that you can see here from this SoulPancaker's Blog:)

If I could bottle comfort, I'd give it to you so that when I am gone, you'd have it.

If I could put my voice in too, I would, so when I am gone, you'd hear it.

For you my Dear, I'd trap the smells of pumpkin pie, and sunshine on dirt, and salt water on skin, and clean baby hair and fresh strawberries; all in the bottle for you to breathe in when you wish.

I'd trap the feel of warm sweet kisses and tight full hugs, and the taste of toffee melting on your tongue.

I'd coax in to that bottle the tingling of a warm moonlit breeze across your bare skin; that would go in.

I'd slip in words and whisper "I love you," so that every time you tilted the glass, my heart would make the edges glint and glisten emotion within.

I'd put all my comforts in the bottle for you; this I would do.

HAPPY NOVEMBER!!! 

Oh, and I had an awesome birthday. WOOT! 

Today Something Begins...

I am going to try something exciting and new.

I am going to attempt to participate in National Write A Novel Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo).

This means that I will cease editing my other two not-quite-finished books, and begin writing a new one--- just for this month of November.

It's going to be my birthday present to myself as my birthday lies exactly a week from Halloween.

Today is the FIRST day.

This November Novella is going to be a fairy-tale: DOUBLE the FUN!

As I said before, my fantastical adventure story (book one) and my basic food novel (book two) will both be on hold for this month... unless I get really stuck and need to work on another project to rejuvenate myself... which is why I began the second book in the first place... that, and food pornography (for lack of a better term) is REALLY fun to write...

Additionally, I am going to attempt the incredible for me: As I finish each chapter of the November Novella, I'm going to post it here.

For people to read. People such as yourself. ;-)

That's right... I'm going to display things IN THE WORKS here on MWMWL as I go.

Mind you, they'll be edited chapters. This will be in addition to my morning walk musings; quite the endeavor!

However, I'm going to attempt to document myself with updates here as well as on the word count NaNoWriMo site-- baring my soul for anyone who cares to see.

YAAAY!

Let's hope that all this is possible.

 This weekend I have a musical performance at a well known hotel and I'll be gone Friday through Sunday afternoon.

Two days later my birthday happens.

A day later, my mum arrives for a visit.

A few days after that I head to OK for a wedding shower.

Then it's Thanksgiving.

Then the month is OVER and the novel MUST BE FINISHED!

Now, perhaps you are wondering: Why a fairy-tale?

Well, because they're such delightful fun.

Villains are really delicious characters to write; besides, I'm tired of all the rescuing being done by romantic interests in the story... it's time to re-establish the kind of character who has their own passion and adventure in their own tale.

Plus, it's funnier if characters are more independent versus codependent.

Besides, funny things happen with stories that begin with, "Once upon a time..." and it's going to be quite an experience to take control of such a classic genre for myself.

Also, I want to invite you all to feel free to provide feedback and/or constructive criticism via the comments here as the November Novel progresses along.

Wish me luck, because this feels as if it's a HUGE DEAL!

Happy NOVEMBER!

:-D