Because It Has Been Too Long

Too many days without having written anything.

Buying a house
Moving in 2 1/2 weeks
Job is busy
Kids are busy
Money is tight
Birthdays
Homecoming dance
Church
Soccer
Photos
Writing
Housework
Girl Scouts


Sleep deprivation

Oreo cookies...... Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhh

I Stare

at the contestant form for Deal or No Deal almost every day. I cannot bring myself to fill it out.

Why?

Because I can't pick a week to be in Connecticut. Srsly.

I can't even write enough to fill out a form. About myself. Factual data, requiring no storyline or character arc, or word count.

OMG. November is headed for literary fail and I'm not even out of September yet.

Nano, oh Nano. So close, and yet so far.....

Never Mind

It is a never ending string of interruptions, this life.

Which is why this post ends now, before it has begun.

Good greif.

Home From Vacay

Friday afternoon my son and I packed up and drove to Arrowrock State Park in Arrowrock, MO. We met up with my husband and 2 girls, and 7 in-laws (2 were missing in Texas - boo hoo.) We camped and visited the local historical town. Seriously inspiring. Total fodder for the creative mind. And a rockin' good time.

Thank goodness, because it's the last time off we'll be getting for a while. Hubby got a job and starts tomorrow, and we're moving. Not a major move, just about a block and a half away, but still.... moving is moving.

I now have 2 story ideas and some photography things rolling around in my brain. Slowly but surely, the creative freeze is thawing...

And So It Begins...

A young man, betrayed by the only family he's ever known, braves the treacherous journey to freedom, and forgiveness.

Day 3,830

I am still learning to cohabitate with the creature. His ways are foreign, and we communicate mostly through sign and body language. Verbally, we are completely incompatible, I have yet to understand a word uttered. And his customs are totally alien. Aparently, hygiene is a vague and relative concept in his world, unless forced and controlled by the female of the species. He does bring unique gifts to the table. The ability to produce deadly pungency from multiple areas of the body, for one. Another, though, is a talent for surviving in the wilderness; one which I will have to call on him for on days 3832 and 3833. I am thankful for these skills, especially since it appears my attachment to this creature will continue indefinitely.

We Shook On It

Sunday afternoon, during the Girl Scout meeting, my friend Julie and I made a deal. We both have a story to write, and it is time we got it out there. So she's writing her's, and I mine, and we're going to hold each other accountable.

Then we shook on it.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccccckkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!

I've got to start writing!!

Monday Night

Right brain in a coma.... took 20 minutes to write a status update on FB.

Gotta find my happy place.......

Sunday Night Mini Blurb

Today our Brownie troop bridged over to Junior Girl Scouts. I am filled with a mixture of pride for how they've grown and begun to mature, and they feeling of dread that I have to spend another school year trapped with the banshees of Prairie Village. Fifteen of the most energetic fourth graders alive. They push you to the very edge of sanity, and then pull you back with a glimpse of their true desire to be approved of.

They are frustrating, and exhausting, and I love every one of them.

All as unique as snowflakes, and as goofy as cornflakes. Unlimited potential powered by rocket fuel and mischief.

It was a fun day.

I Wrote..... Words!!

I started to have an idea.

Now, this in and of itself is not amazing, as I have a couple hundred ideas a day. My goodness, I am chock full o' ideas. Most days I am idearific. Quite a few of those are little story kernels waiting to be watered, and fed, and spoken into life. Except, I can't do it. One out of a hundred, on a good day, come to fruition, and it is never, ever a story idea.

Until today.

I had an idea for a story, I gave it some thought, and then, before I let the fear overcome it.........

I wrote! 86 words!!

For many, this pittance is cranked out before the author realizes they're typing. But for me, this is a monumental event. The last time I wrote this much of a story on the page was 6 years ago. I started writing a time travel novel for NaNo. When I realized the difficulty of this particular undertaking, I started to freeze up. I couldn't get the story to gel without ripping the time-space continuum and destroying the universe. Which was not how I envisioned the story ending.

This became the pattern of my writing. I would get an idea, get part of it on paper, and freeze up. Then the freezing up came sooner and sooner, until one day I couldn't bring myself to put anything on the page. And that's the way it remained. For years.

The tide is turning.

By November I fully expect to be up to 1700 words per day, allowing me to actually finish NaNo for the first time ever. Then, by this time next year, I will be mustering a cool 5k a day like some of my illustrious colleagues.

And it all started with 86 words.

Saturday Morning Mini-blurb

So a mini-blurb is my way of sharing random life moments, sometimes sweeping out mental debris.

Today it's all about the soccer! My girls both play recreational soccer - yes, it's true, I'm a soccer mom, and I drive a minivan... but that's not important right now.

We had a 9:00am game with the 4th graders, and are getting ready for a 12:15pm game with the 2nd graders (my husband is a coach on that team.)

I enjoy this. No really, I do. My girls try their best and have fun, they socialize with their friends, I socialize with the other soccer parents, sometimes we do action photography of a game... it's a lot of fun. Even at 9am on a day that shouldn't start until 1pm-ish, in my hardly ever humble opinion.

No matter what happens during the rest of the day, there are two pure, spotless hours where we all just live in the moment.

Of Goals...

Let's talk goals. I have one major goal for this, the last third of 2009. To win NaNoWriMo for the first time since I joined in 2002. There are two major truths surrounding this goal.

First: In 7 years, I have yet to pound out 50,000 words in 30 days. (or 12 months)

Second: It is the only goal in 2009 that has the remotest possibility of being realized.

What a testament to the colossal fail that is the year 2009. You would think, then, that my story might reek of misfortune, calamity, affliction. I counter with a resounding, "NO!"

I'm thinking fluff.

You know, cotton candy, marshmallowy, poofy clouded entertainment. What I need this time around is to STOP STOPPING MYSELF! I am the epitome of the pre-self-editor. It took me an hour to stop procrastinating writing this entry! So, truly, anyone partaking in this journey with me will also be subject to my daily therapy sessions, with myself. Sometimes it's going to be amazingly, mind-blowingly fluffy. And every once in a while, I might say something. Who knows? But as long as I write one entry, every day (with the rare exception of times when I have no internet access.... we like camping....) and I get myself through NaNo this year, I am going to consider 2009 a success.

If you join me as an observer, I welcome you.

If you join me as a supportive encourager-slash-boot-to-the-tush mentor, I wrap my arms around your leg and blissfully whisper, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you."

I'll talk to you tomorrow, then.

And For My First Trick...

However shall I begin? In an attempt to do something creative every day, I have joined the league of extraordinary bloggers. I have dreams and goals, and a variety of brick-a-brack to share with the unsuspecting masses....

All of which I will begin later, as I truly must get some sleep....

I spent hours searching for a good profile pic.... no, really.