Getting Lost in the Literary Abyss

NaNoWriMo.

Yep, you read that correctly.

You are probably looking at this spastic collision of words and wondering what in the world I am going to write about. Some of you have probably decided that I'm a couple Crayolas short of a 96 pack.

National Novel Writing Month happens every year during the month of November. Writers from all over the world sign up to participate in a 30 days and nights of literary abandon (as the website states). What is this literary abandon I am speaking of?

It's writing a novel. In 30 days. No less than 50,000 words.

This sounds like my kind of crazy.

I am lucky enough to have comrades on my adventure. A couple of my friends that I go to college with are prepping for this month of literary craziness, as well. It's comforting to know that I might not be the only one with carpal tunnel, clothes soiled in ink, and consistent messy buns every day (flip hair over, gather it up, wrap hair with hair-tie. simple right?)

My next step is to finalize what I want to write my novel about. I have a couple thoughts, but ideas and thoughts of what you would like to see me write would be greatly appreciated. You can leave a comment on my blog or post it on my Facebook wall.

If you would like to join in on the month of literary abandon go to www.nanowrimo.org/

Happy Writing :)

And So We Carved Pumpkins

It may only be October 8th, but the next time I'm going to be home is probably Thanksgiving. Therefore, I took my Columbus Weekend Break to celebrate the fall in its fullest. I woke up early and headed out to the apple orchard with my mom, grandma and sister.Where there were 8 million people. Why am I surprised that an apple orchard during Columbus day weekend, on a day that was 75 degrees, was bustling full of people? I honestly don't know. People were walking in front of cars, elbowing each other to get to the front of the line and sitting on my lap so that they could take a picture of their kid next to a cornstalk. How festive.

So, I may not have been in the best mood. I will admit that I am sometimes adverse to large crowds. However, once my mother set a wonderfully delicious funnel cake in front of me, all of the world was right once more.

Then came the pumpkin carving. How do you celebrate the fall without pumpkin carving? You don't, so I conned my brother and sister into carving pumpkins tonight (it really wasn't that hard). However, this time the pumpkins didn't have silly faces that we enjoy cutting out when we were little. Now that were were much older, we took this art of carving a pumpkin seriously, and I had the best pumpkin ever.

The only pumpkin for me was Jane Austen. I think it turned out quite splendidly.

Now, I will finish my night by watching the new Jane Eyre because its the closest to scary as I'll ever get.



Happy Fall to everyone :)

How Many Books Have You Written?

Alright, lets not be too shocked here. I can see it in your eyes already, the hurt and the disappointment I have caused . "Where have you been?", you say to me. "Why haven't you written anything?"

I might be giving myself a bigger ego than I actually should.

For whatever reason there is, mostly ones that deal with a hectic life, I am back; I really am, and quite honestly I'm happy to be back. I've been trying to figure out a way to take the plunge back into writing after being on hiatus for so long. I mean, what do I say to those who haven't seen my posts in months?

For those that wonder what happened during by absence (aka summer vacation), all I did was work forty hours a week, running to find PVC pipe fittings and coping saws. If I wasn't doing this, I was sleeping. Or thinking about the newspaper where I am currently Editor-in-Chief.

When that gig ended, I packed up my belongings and headed back to good ol' Bobby Wes for junior year. From then on its been classes, work, homework, and working on the newspaper. That's my life in a nutshell.

(This is where I take the plunge and get right back into it, even if I'm only diving in a pool that's four feet deep.)

 Many of you know, as most of my readers are aquaintences and friends, I am a book fiend. I can't live without books and I love to write. Well, I love to write blurbs that don't add up to anything.

[Enter in enlightening situation]

The other day I was sitting in my Argumentation and Debate class which a wonderful friend and I were talking about how short I am. I can't even sit at the chair they place at the front desk of the library without having my feet dangle. My younger brother towers over me. (Please note that he is 6'3" and I am 5'4", but don't let that deter you from any sympathy for me.) My professor then turns around and explains how my shortness will help in the the long run because I will live a longer life. I replied, "Good, then I can write twelve more novels then most writers would."

The next question is so obvious. I mean how can you say this and not get this question back. But, there I am, sitting there and my professor asks, "How many books have you written?"

Now this didn't phase me one bit. Here I am, bosom friends with Anne Shirley, confidant to Elizabeth Bennett, chums with Georgia Nicholson, the fifth sister of the Traveling Pants, spouting off how I will win the Pulitzer Prize and I have the  most brilliant answer to my endeavor and dream of writing a book.

"I have a lot of ideas."

Seriously?

You would be correct in assuming that I wanted to fall in a hole.

After class, I couldn't stop thinking about why, in fact, I haven't written anything yet. Beginnings of books, characterizations,  poems, short stories, sure. But, a complete novel. Not even close.

Let's just say that this lit a fire under my plus-sized tush to actually start thinking about what I would write. And the same voice kept coming back to me; the same girl who has been talking in my head for about a half of a year. Don't worry; talking voices to a writer is essential, even if others think we are crazy.

Which we are.

Now, I am continuously writing down thoughts that come to my mind, scribbling out poems and ideas that I have, even if it is right through the middle of a discussion on St. Augustine. I didn't really do this, but its the thought that counts. I'm giving this whole writing a book thing a shot. Hopefully, it doesn't take me too long to get there.

There we are; I made the plunge and I didn't hit my head on the bottom. It may have been a bit chilly for the first couple minutes, but now I'm just wading through my words once again.

Until next time...