The Case of the Coughing Writer

I've been sick for well over a week now. I don't feel as awful as I did at the start of it, but my cough and somewhat intermittent sore throat are lingering. I wonder if it's from daring to run - though I've cut back partially by an elective attempt to mend my body, but also for involuntary reasons. I haven't been sleeping well since the cough peaks in the morning and night. It's difficult to run in the morning when you only have a few hours of sleep behind you. The time change hasn't helped Harper, either. As all parents know, when the little ones doesn't sleep, neither do mommy and/or daddy.

NaNoWriMo is going well, as I find myself a few thousand words ahead of schedule (I passed the 13k mark yesterday), and I'm going strong. I would have hoped for better character development by now, but I suppose that just gives me more to write about. 

Last night Jeff and I just finished watching BBC's Sherlock series on PBS. It's brilliant! It puts a modern-day spin on an old classic, while still paying respect and homage to its original. The writing is razor-sharp, and the performances are equally flawless (I have yet to see Martin Freeman a.k.a Bilbo in something I didn't like). Season One is only three episodes long, but each episode is an hour an a half. So really, it's three feature-length episodes. I like that the long duration gives you a chance to sit down and enjoy an entire story in one sitting, instead of dragging it out over three or four episodes. They have a second season planned, and Jeff & I can't wait. I hope the US airs it as soon as the UK does. I'm such a sucker for BBC productions, especially the Masterpiece Mysteries and Classics. Check out the PBS website to watch previews and see if it's something you might like. 

NaNoWriMo 2010

What is NaNoWriMo, you may ask? I'm not sure who designated it as such, but November is National Novel Writing Month. I participated in it last year, and even won. You can find out more about NaNoWriMo here.

Have you ever had an idea for a novel but never thought you could get it down on (real or virtual) paper? NaNoWriMo is fun in a masochistic sort of way, but it is insane fun nonetheless. Yes, that's 50,000 words in 30 days, and it's surprisingly doable. Broken down that's 1,667 words per day which can be surprisingly easy when you are excited about the characters, the plot, or any specific part of the novel that floats around in your head. In the end, it's the first draft of a novel - about 175 pages. I can't begin to describe how amazing it feels to hit that 50k mark. As for my 2009 novel? It's sadly sitting in first-draft form, waiting for me to resurrect it via editing.

So I've started with my preparations, if you call it that. I have a loose plot figured out, and my characters have begun to invade my brain. I'm trying to overload with thoughts of my 2010 NaNoWriMo novel, so when it comes time to write, it just spews out all at once.

We all have different methods to writing, and mine is heavily character-based. I don't do outlines or written brainstorms of any kind, but I do like to have a document with character profiles including pictures, descriptions, and facts about each character of significance. I build that as I go, working on it when I have writer's block or am just not in the mood to fully write. It helps keep me attached to my novel when words don't really want to come. Other than that, I sort of let the novel write itself.

I know this has zero appeal to most people, but for those that are interested at all - please head over NaNoWriMo.org and join me! I'm trying to talk Jeff into participating this year. Any other takers?

Thirty by Fourty

Yes, the rumors are true. On July 30th, I said farewell to my twenties and hello to my thirties. This kind of milestone can really get a gal thinking about her life journey. A decade is a long time, and I've decided to be more goal oriented about the things I fill my life with. I don't so much enjoy making lists as I do checking things off of them (who doesn't?!) so I've come up with the following specific things that I'd like to do by the time I turn (gulp) fourty. The list is a blend of short-term and long-term items. Below is my complete list (categorized but otherwise in no particular order).

Who else out there has a list like this? I'd love to hear if anyone else has done something like this before, and how it went/is going.

Thirty by Fourty

Crafts
 1.  Knit a sweater for myself
 2.  Knit a pair of socks for myself
 3.  Refinish a piece of furniture
 4.  Complete all of my unfinished quilts
 5.  Complete another oil painting (it's been years)
 6.  Knit something for myself with luscious boutique yarn
 7.  For at least one year, only give handmade gifts & cards to extended family/friends
 8.  Knit something lace with lace weight yarn
 9.  Complete our wedding scrapbook
10. Complete Harper's scrapbook
11. Complete five upcycle projects
12. Complete 10 crochet projects (I don't normally crochet, but I enjoy it)

ME ME ME!
 13. Lose more weight & get healthier
 14. Run/jog a charity 5k (this is a feat for me. I HATE running, though I wish I loved it)
 15. Take a real vacation
 16. Get that dreaded dental work done
 17. Read 10 classic novels that I haven't read yet
 18. Do something that's totally out of my comfort zone
 19. Do another 3-day juice fast
 20. Give Harper a brother or sister (#13 must happen first!)

Miss Shauna Homemaker
 21. Start a garden
 22. Organize my crafts
 23. Reduce our clutter at home
 24. Prepare a 5-course meal entirely made from scratch with farm/garden ingredients
 25. Select a room in the house, and completely redecorate it on a small budget

Other
 26. Complete a children's book with Jeff
 27. Attend a geekfeest (ie Comic-con, PAX, E3, Maker Faire, Stitches Expo, etc)
 28. Participate and win NaNoWriMo 3 more times
 29. Complete a final draft of one of my NaNoWriMo novels
 30. Do a HUGE donation of our old clothes, bedding, etc.

Blog, Schmog.

I know, I'm a shameful blogger. A brief blogging hiatus became an extended vacation from all social aspects of the Internet. During my NaNoWriMo month in November, I rediscovered the enjoyment of applying free time to things that I loved. I wrote, I read, I had a blast with my two guys. Most of all - I KNIT! Jeff has been gently pushing me to take pictures of my knits. I'll get around to it sometime. I can't get enough of my knitting, leaving me two hands short of being able to knit and blog at the same time.

Of course life isn't ever all peaches and cream, but I'm doing my best to enjoy the goodies all around me. I'm grateful to Jeff for sometimes giving me a little nudge when I forget about the great things in life.

As far as NaNoWriMo goes - I WON! Ok, so everyone wins that writes 50k words, but I was included in that group! I wrote the first draft of a novel that will still require an incredible amount of work before ever seeing the light of day. I was giddy to get it done in a month, but am taking a much needed break from my characters. I think of them and their story often, but I am not quite ready to jump back into their world again. Our time will come, though.

There are so many other happenings, but I can't say that I'm prepared to catch my blog up on every little detail. It's just too much for a likely scant audience. A lot happens in just a few months - especially over the holidays. I'll just say that Harper is wonderful, healthy, and is (of course) the best part of... well... the best part of everything! He is happy, goofy, a handful, and one heck of a dancer. And of course, as long as the little dude is good, so am I.

S

P.S. OMG I can't believe I finally updated/resurrected my blog!