Things I've Learned From NaNoWriMo

I've done it.

Take a look at my NaNo badge over in my sidebar --------->

Yes! I have officially written 50,000 words in 30 days (well, actually, 26 days)!

I can't believe that I wrote over 6100 words today. That is an all-time, all-life high.

When I signed up for NaNo, I did not didn't really think I would win. It would be just for fun, just to write.

But here I am, amazed. And even though everything I wrote is going to sound like total crap when I read it over and begin to edit come December, at least I managed to pump out 50k words in one month. Even though my actual story has veered, totally and completely, away from the original idea, I still love every word I have written.

I have learned to push myself. To reach the goals I set. To actually set goals for myself.

I have learned to just write, because you can't edit a blank page. To just write, no matter what, because first drafts never get published anyways - it's the fifth, or fifteenth, or even fiftieth, that do.

I have learned not to write too many contractions (I had to keep reminding myself, as I wrote this post, to write I've instead of I have or can't instead of can not).

If anyone asked me about NaNoWriMo, about deciding whether they should participate in it, I would definitely say yes. Even if you do not don't win, it's an exhilarating experience. It's thirty days and nights of literary abandon. 

Good luck to all fellow WriMos who aren't done yet- you can do it!

Alphabet Thanks

Last year, I made a post on Thanksgiving listing 26 things I was thankful for - one for each letter of the alphabet. This year, I'm going to do it too. If you'd like to, you're welcome to link up:

answers, because questions without them are too confusing
bridges, because they link things together
Christ, because He is my Savior
D300, because my Nikon is the best camera ever
exclamation points, because sometimes you need a little joy
fall, because it had an unexplainable beauty that just is
gardens, because even in the middle of a too-big city, they are the retreat in nature that always calms me down
home, because it's where your heart is
in-between, because it's impossible to be perfect
jokes, because laughter is the best medicine
Kusy, because my dog is just so amazing and so loving
love, because I doubt anyone could exist without it
miscellaneous, because, let's face it, not everything fits into a clear-cut category (and not everything should)
NaNoWriMo, because, even while it can be a pain in the backside, it's fun to just let go and write
open doors, because closed ones are uninviting and often hard to open, even if they do harbor some hidden loveliness
pristine beauty, because we have enough breaths to spare a few
quizzical looks, because they provide amusement (especially when coming from a dog)
running, because it is the kind of freedom only wind streaming in your hair and the rhythmic thuds of your feet on the ground can show you
snow, because winter (and Christmas) would be no fun without it
thunder, because lightning needs a partner in crime
umbrellas, because, young or old, everyone needs to play dress up
very good, because just plain old good doesn't say nearly as much
whimsicality, because sometimes reason can be abandoned
xoxo, because hugs and kisses are better than xylophones ever could be
yellow brick roads, because everyone should go on their own personal trip to Oz
zzzz, because I'm thankful I can sleep, even if it is often cut short by having to wake up for school

What are you thankful for? Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Politics

I have never yet met a honest politician who really has the people's best interests at heart.

Correction: I haven't really met many politicians, face to face. But from those about whom I have heard, none are the sort of people I'd trust with governing our country/state/county/city well, equally, and honestly.

Maybe, somewhere, out there, such a politician does exist.

Or maybe not.

Does politics do that to you? Takes an honest person who just wants to better his home, and turns him (or her) into someone who gives pay raises to friends? Someone who lies about themselves to make it seem like they are better citizens and better would-be elected officials? Someone who, during campaign season, blasts ads saying that their opponent is, indeed, a selfish lying stupid fiscally irresponsible dunce (when as a matter of fact each of those terms could be better used to describe that first politician anyways)?

Or is dishonesty what it takes to succeed in the dirty world of politics? If someone who would be willing to lower their own pay as a mayor or other elected official in order to buy better books for poor schools, or to give every family who needs it a substantial meal that is free, would that person just not be elected?

Or, worse, would they be elected, and then turn dishonest, because of the power they hold?

Politics is a frightening world.

A Perfect Combination

Does anyone else listen to music as they write? Anyone?
 
I do. I used to never, ever, ever, EVER listen to music when I was writing. Never, with twenty million capital N's. But now?

Yea. Of course I do. And it's amazing. I find myself being able to churn out more words for NaNo each day if I listen to music streaming very loudly into my ears on my iPod. Without music, I used to pause every few minutes and check my word count, stop every so often to think and try to concentrate, stop and just plain dawdle.

But with music? It covers just about every annoying sound that exists so that I can just concentrate and smash out words on my laptop. Just write and write and write and write without caring that my dog is whining for attention or that the vacuum cleaner is running or, hey, is that a tornado outside? (Joking about that last one)

Like, today, I have not only reached the required cumulative and daily word count - I'm above it! That is so exciting because, for the record, I've usually been behind the goal. Plus, I am more than HALFWAY through the 50,000 words! Yay!

But it has to be the right music. Through the past couple of days I have developed my perfect Writing Playlist. It has songs that inspire me to pound everything out:

Playlist.com didn't have a couple of the songs in my playlist (ELT by Wilco, Johhny Johnny by Avalanche, Land of make believe by Buck Fizz, and the version of Sound of Silence by Audiofeels).

PS: Check out my footer navigation buttons (Home, Older Posts, Newer Posts). I just customized them so that they are images instead of just plain old words.