challenges

50,000 or Bust

mikemjensen Writing Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month.

This event is held every November and the rules are simple.tumblr_mvlcokDhGQ1qc0c3bo1_500

Write 50,000 original words between November 1st and 30th.

It’s an average of a little less than 1700 words per day for 30 days.

If you submit 50,000 words before midnight on the 30th, you win. If you don’t, you don’t.

Or as I see it: if I don’t, I lose.

I participated in 2010, 2011, and 2013. All wins. I considered myself too busy last year. Maybe next year, I said. It wasn’t worth the risk of losing.

Again this year, I began to say the same thing. Way too busy. Too many irons in the fire. Two books in the process of editing. No way to get more writing done. I don’t want to not win.

It sounded familiar. I was losing without even trying. I’d rather not win by not writing enough than lose by default.

So I’m in. I started today and have about 1400 words written so far. I’ll get back to it tonight.

I have no intentions of losing. And at the end of this month, I’ll have the base of a new novel.

“If it needs to be done, do it.”

I’ll keep you up to date.

NaNoWriMo: 1455/50000

Day 251

Working for a Living

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untitled (6)Hey Kids,

Some days, like today, I wonder what are we all doing?

Today was payroll day, meaning checking my staff’s punches and making sure they got them all in. Then make sure no one worked over 40 hours. And then make sure no one worked under 40 hours. Approve their approvals. Submit. Report that I submitted. Wait for someone to check my submission. Fix anything the checker found that was submitted improperly. And then say done.

Then we wait for the paycheck to be calculated and on the given day, deposited in our checking accounts. After taxes, of course.

We trade our hours for money. Our life for coin. To give to bill collectors. So really, we work for them by the hour. Self-inflicted, I know.

I’m really seeing it as a weird way to live.

I’m going to keep writing. And one day, when my writing reaches enough people who enjoy it and I can exchange my writing for the things I need. I will be done with working by the hour. And instead, live by my art.

Back to writing. Make the dream a reality.

Have a nice day.

 

Day 21

Take on a New Challenge; Go for a Ride

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Hey Kids,

It looks like I’m going to be able to take possession of a new motorcycle. Cool, eh? Take a look at her:

IMG_20150301_135446_030OK, she doesn’t look like much. But it’ll be a fun project.

I’ve never owned a dirt bike. Never worked on one either. In fact, I have never even rode a dirt bike. What a great way to venture into a whole new world!

 

Day 7