Working On Happily Ever After

Today we went to the Urbana Oyster Festival. Sunny, cold and absolutely beautiful with all the boats in the harbor and the fall colors on shore. We got there early about 10 am which was great because the crowds weren’t too bad yet. I got to talk with a representative from the Reedville Museum, someone from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and an oyster gardener. Picked up a number of references and the person from the CBF referred me to a local author who has written a number of books on watermen on the VA side of the Chesapeake. I found him in a corner of his wife’s shop with a pile of books. I bought several including one on the Civil War for my husband’s birthday. He was telling me about another book of his that had quite a bit on the Civil War. I asked “Do you have a copy here?” He grinned and said he was still writing it. I can identify with that. He also gave me the names of two other authors who are experts on Va watermen.

I started one of his books on the way home. His name is Larry Chowning and his book is excellent.

I haven’t written much today because this evening friends had invited us to an oyster roast/chili dinner. It was fun but cold. I’m skipping ahead in the book a bit because I had a brainstorm regarding the heroine/hero’s meeting so I’m writing that scene while it is fresh.

Thanks CMS, Dee and SDCB for your encouragement. That 8800 word day is the exception rather than the rule with my writing but it helped get me going.

Trying to be disciplined here and go to write though with all the fresh air, walking, good food and cold today I’m feeling sleepy.

I wrote 1000 words instead of 500. And my three day total is just shy of 14,000 words. I don’t know how much I’ll get to write over the next two days because tomorrow we’re taking our youngest to the Oyster Festival then going to see his cousins and to an oyster roast. Sunday, the kids will want to spend some more time with their cousins and visiting friends and then we have to take the dogs back to the kennel and drive back to our temporary rental house.

I’m hoping to write at least 1000 words a day this weekend. Some words every day. That is my goal.

So far so good. Four weeks in November. 13,000 words a week equals 52,ooo words. About half the projected length of the book.

Now I’m nervous because it’s gone so well to begin with.

Geez. Going to go to read about racing on the Chesapeake and then go to sleep.

Some of my friends have neat little graphs at the bottom of their blogs. I have no idea how to do that and this is not the month to try to learn. But they are cool

I think I may have added extra letters to this but any way I’m talking about National Novel Writers month. November 1-30 with a 50,000 word goal.

I signed up and started Nov 1. And wrote 8800 words. My book is up and running and I’m so happy and relieved. My goal is 13,000 words a week and I almost hit it in the first two days. Good thing because pesky stuff like having to pick out countertops, take care of kids and pets, call to check on who could drain our oil tank and remove it got in the way of writing today. But as soon as I finish this I’m going to write. Goal 500 words before I go to sleep.

If I don’t write, I’m not happy. The more days I go without writing the less confidence I have in my ability to write. But my internal editor was working overtime and I’d started overthinking each and every word I wrote. So I did chores, and watched TV and read and avoided writing. Now, I’ve turned that sucker off and I’m just letting the story flow. Some days it flows better than others but even if I struggle one day as long as I write something then the next day the story flows better. And I’m happier. Which my family thinks is a good thing.

I’m lucky. My husband supports my writing and the kids do too. I’m sure they think oh well it’s another of mom’s enthusiams. Maybe. But this enthusiasm has produced two books in a year, the plots and outlines for the next 6 and I’m off and running with the third.

Writing keeps me sane. Now to work on my story.