NaNoWriMo - Winner!

Well, I did it! 51376 words in 26 days!

I've impressed myself. I started with a couple characters and a vague start to a story. My technique was to sit alone in the kitchen, away from TV and family and write for a couple of hours. This produced around 2000 words at a sitting. I managed to sneak a whole day while Julie was out, and managed over 5000. That gave me a buffer and took the pressure off.

My word processor counted the words as over 52000, but the NaNo site reduced the count by around 1000, but still sufficient to qualify as 'Winner'.

Each time the story stalled or lost direction, I used the 'what if' approach to think what would happen next. What started as a blend of Hogwarts and St Trinians, ended as a sci-fi murder mystery.

The completed novel (sounds good!) needs editing and a lot of sorting, but there is no urgency so I can get back to that after I've had a break.

I started a new job on the 17th and that added to the things I had to achieve, and then on 25th my daughter gave birth to a baby boy. Now I have to complete the Spiritualist church Autumn newsletter and get started on the UNISON winter edition!

Phew! I shall take a break for a while.

NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writers Month

Well I am officially under way and that makes me a novellist! Around 5,000 words in two days!

Have you ever heard anyone say, "I could write a book" or "I'm gonna write a book one day", well tell 'em to put their money where their mouth is and do it!

I have one month, November 2008, to write a novel of at least 50,000 words, and I am taking that journey! The novel does not have to be polished, ready for publication, just a basic first draft. I can spend as long as I like perfecting it later. The challenge is to write it. It may never be published, it may never be publishable but it will be done and I will have written a book.

I may be 'worded out' for a while so the next post may be short 'n' sweet. 

I'll report back later and give you all an update ... but now - sleep!

Winter approaches - so does NaNoWriMo!

I know, I've been slacking!
Well, Hamilton has bucked up his ideas - a bit. He's still inconsistent and lacks maturity, and with one race (Brazil) left he has not yet clinched the championship.

Contributions to 'Pop and Crisps' continue, my latest extolling the virtues of the 1972 Vauxhall Viva were posted last Friday (see previous post for address). My two newsletters continue to go out as planned. I move to a new department, job wise, next month - more of that some other time, because ...

... The Big News is NaNoWriMo! The National Novel Writers Month. This is the tenth anniversary of this event and I'm signed up and ready to rock!

The challenge is to write a novel (a short novel by today's standards) of at least 50,000 words in a month. That means rattling off more than 1667 words every day. Characters and plot may be planned before hand but writing mustn't start to 00:01 1/11/08 (or 11/1/08 if you are 'over there') . The novel must be uploaded to their web site for word count validation before 23:59 30/11/08. If you are paranoid that they'll pinch your good work, they will scramble it for you. Chances are anything I write will look as if it is scrambled anyway!

Gotta dash, will post more soon - promise!

Grand Prix and Scrap-a-ganza weekend

Julie is back from Scrap-a-ganza in Holland. It was a three day scrapbooking convention which cost a fortune to attend. She returned totally disillusioned. Although the sessions led by visiting tutors were great, the organisation was abysmal. The transport from airport to hotel was a farce, the food was poor, there was no water to drink, the hotel was a long way from the airport, supplies for the classes did not appear - and on, and on. She will not be going again.

Did you see young Lewis Hamilton at Sundays Canadian Grand Prix. I think, when interviewed the previous day he joked about his father crashing his Porche at 30 mph. Well Lewis, pit lane speed is 60 kph which I estimate to be 37.5mph. I think the joke is on you! C'mon Lewis, concentrate!

In the mean time Kubica, in the BMW, has leapfrogged into the lead of the championship. Kimi - you better buck up your ideas, too!

I got a couple more articles on the 'popandcrisps' blog site (see below for address) 'pop' over and have a look - tell us what you think. I was rather pleased with a short story I entered for a competition, too. It didn't win but comments were good. I'll try and remember to put it on my web site.

Couple of newsletters will be published soon - web addresses to follow when published.

Bits on the interweb ...

I've had a couple of articles published recently. Back in April I had a short piece in Psychic News, Spiritualism's independent weekly newspaper. ( www.psychicnewsbookshop.co.uk ) More recently a new blog by author Josie Henley-Einion, 'Pop and Crisps' has accepted a couple of submissions. The blog reminisces about the 1970s and these were busy years for me. The blog can be found at http://popandcrisps.wordpress.com and my entries are 'Hair, fashion and metric' and 'Seveties - work and life'.
Skip over and have a read - tell me what you think. Tell Josie, too!

Another big gap ...

... and so much has happened!
AJ passed his test in January and now is whizzing around in his own car - quite the confident driver he is, too!
Sarah at work has had her baby - blow me down if she ain't pregnant again
I took the news sheet officer's post with the union and have published two issues so far. I'm also doing a newsletter for a local church. Quite a difference, eh!
The secondment that I applied for in July is going to be re-advertised so I'll try again if circumstances are right.
Julie was successful in getting a new job - much closer to home, so close that she walks to work! just think of all that duty we're not paying to the Chancellor now!
I have done two more cartoons for staff leaving the department since David's saucy image. Getting a bit of a habit.

The camping season is approaching and we hope to get a few days under our belt. Now that AJ is independent and mobile things should be easier.

Anyway, enough for one post, otherwise it'll be six months before I post again ...