Hey Kids,
50,000 new words written.
I finished my NaNoWriMo challenge.
This was a challenging one with so much going on, and then starting a new second job on top of that!
Maybe to some, the deed doesn’t seem to great.
To me, it’s something many people start out saying they’re going to do it, and then a only a small percentage actually realize it.
*patting myself on the back*
NaNoWriMo: 50,000+/50,000
Day 280
Hey Kids,
Just a quick note before I take off tonight and work my Australian Hours Job. (Sounds better than graveyard). (Or does it?)
We had the kids over for a round of Chicken Soup. It was our Thanksgiving Dinner with them. We figured that everyone has had enough Turkey at this point. It’s always good food for the soul.
I didn’t quite finish my NaNoWriMo story today but I have until tomorrow night to finish. I’m within striking distance, a simple normal day’s quota will do it.
It’s been a long weekend with the days off and the working every day of it. But it has been a good one. The extra job has relived a lot of stress. Especially once the extra check starts cashing. It’s not as materialistic as that sounded. I’ll explain later.
NaNoWriMo: 48,836/50,000
Day 279
Hey Kids,
I knew the NaNoWriMo thing would be tough to do this month with so much going on, but I decided to jump into it anyway.
Everything was going great, until this past week when things got a little hairy at work, I began a new second job, and Thanksgiving made its appearance.
The plan was to work ahead, in preparation for this week in particular. I didn’t.
The plan was to finish early in the month and avoid this whole week entirely. It didn’t.
The plan was to make sure there was no way I could fail at achieving 50,000 words written before November 30th. This plan is still alive.
I hate to fail. Especially when everything is within my possibility. I am responsible for falling behind. I will be responsible to hit the mark.
Failure is not an option.
NaNoWriMo: 44,078/50,000
Day 278
Hey Kids,
Write, write, write.
That was the order of the day today.
We had a bunch of things to do this morning, and it included getting into the gym for a quick work out but after lunch, it was time to write.
I feel behind 500 words on Thursday night and then failed to write at all on Friday.
I know that for some, coming up with 3,800 words (the amount I started out behind) in one day doesn’t sound like a huge task. However when you figure those words have to fit into a 50,000 word goal, it is tougher than you think.
In comparison, Stephen King, whose work is nothing but prolific, writes about 1500 words per day. 3,800 words all of a sudden sounds like a bunch.
I failed to reach that number. Instead I finished at 2700. I’m still behind, but if I can put down an equal effort tomorrow, I’ll be caught up.
The trick is not to get behind and if you do, it might take a few days to make up the difference. And if you do fall behind, it’s better to do it in the first two weeks of NaNoWriMo than in the last two.
Wish me luck.
NaNoWriMo: 22,222/50,000
Day 264
Hey Kids,
I have erased this blog post three times now.
I wrote about NaNoWriMo. In short, it feels good to just let loose on a first draft. Editing is the hardest part of writing and first drafting in the most fun. A month long forced habit of free writing feels liberating. I love it.
I also tried to write about the reveled policy changes my church leadership made Friday. The wake of it has my Facebook feed lit up like a Christmas tree. Many of my Friends are very upset, and many others are towing the line and defending the leadership, willing to give the benefit of the doubt in terms of intentions. I don’t understand it but I don’t think it was done in hate. I do feel it came across as lacking the compassion and I don’t agree with the reasoning. I’m also not really willing to debate.
So in the end, I am left to what was left for the rest of the weekend: football.
My college team won and moved up in the polls. Go Utes.
My pro team lost in a close one. Raiders still on the rise.
For not much of a blog post, I seemed to have filled the page.
NaNoWriMo: 13,567/50,000
Day 258
Hey Kids,
Here’s an observation for you.
Things at the same volume sound entirely different given the time of day.
Ever turn on the TV when you first get up after watching a movie the night before?
Or a car alarm that goes off in the middle of the day as opposed to one that goes off in the middle of the night.
Once every hour.
All night long.
For two nights.
Believe me, it makes a difference.
NaNoWriMo: 10663/50,000
Day 257
Hey Kids,
Hit the gym this morning.
It felt good.
I asked my sweetie how come when it feels so good, do we resist and not go to the gym?
We have no answer.
Cold is now settling in. The ride to work had a number starting in the 30’s; 36 I believe. We might be down to freezing in the morning. Despite the frozen hands and danger of ice, I love riding no matter the temperature; unless there’s snow on the road.
Today parts of the valley had snow on the ground. Luckily it was the west side and not the east, where I live.
Heading back to the gym tomorrow. Late start to work so we’re going to get after it.
Great writing session this morning. It’s amazing how even I don’t know the details of the story until I write it. I remember now why first drafts are so much fun!
I think I rambled on enough for now, my eye lids are slamming shut. So glad I have the goal to write every day or else this blog post never would’ve been.
PSA: Set goals and stick to them.
NaNoWriMo: 6,600/50,000
Day 254
Hey Kids,
I whined a little last night about being poor. So it’s only fair to take account of those things in which I am rich:
I have 5 kids. And although our relationship is a little one-sided, I have five human beings I get to love unconditionally. No matter what, my heart feels for them. I think of them. I have 5 people for which to cheer through life. I love those kids and I always will.
I have a super wife. It’s unbelievable to have someone who is always on your side, always there to encourage me, and always there to lean on. If I had nothing else, she would be enough to feel as rich as the Prince of Brunei.
I have two motorcycles. Some people are saying, “So?? I have 5”. OK, that would be pretty awesome; one for each weekday. But I know it wasn’t very long ago I was saying, “Man, a bike would be so cool”.
I have this sense of confidence. Maybe that sounds arrogant, but that goes with confidence. I just know that I can pick up my game at any time, do anything that I have to do. I’m not afraid to bet on myself. Somehow, someway I’ll survive. I’ll make it.
I’m mechanically minded. I can figure stuff out. I was taught at an early stage of my working career to ask when something shows itself as a problem: what would I be afraid of if I was that thing? Believe it or not, that works in a lot of situations.
I’ve found a place in life where I get to do what I love: to write. I love writing and I’m not too bad at it. I’ve written for a national magazine, and now I write for myself. I’m so lucky to live in a time where being an independent writer is not only possible, it’s the favorable way to do it.
Speaking of writing, NaNoWriMo is going well. I’m a little ahead of schedule and going to try to steal whatever time I need to get my words down early in the month. I worry about Thanksgiving weekend. It’s fun to watch this story I’m writing come along. As of right now, there’s a good chance this will turn into a book that I might actually release.
I guess that’s enough “I love me” for now. I think it’s just good to remind myself how good I do have it and things are only as bad or good as you want to see them.
NaNoWriMo: 5,300/50,000
Day 253
Hey Kids,
NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month.
This event is held every November and the rules are simple.
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
Mike M Jensen 