MoW (Month of Writing '24) 11/6/24

 I have been writing every day. Not updating here every day, but, yes - writing is happening. I am continuing to work on the fiction story, which might be a short story, novella, or longer. It is way too early for me to know how long it's going to be.

I suppose if I wasn't a pantser, I'd have a better idea of where I'm headed. But I am and I don't and that is fine.

No. I'm not going to post about the election except to say that it happened. If you know me, you know my feelings. 

So, back to writing. 

My total word count for this event is at 21,097 words! Hooray! Go, me! A reminder if you're reading this and are thinking, but, NaNovember didn't start until November 1st, how?? I'm doing it differently this year. If you go back to my November 1st post, there is more information. The Month of Writing event I'm doing this year is with 4 The Words (4TW) and tracking assistance (and group friendly fun) on a leaderboard at TrackBear. The 4TW event, Weathercraft Terrarium, started with a Halloween themed lead-in on October 28th, and it will conclude on December 10th. So my 21k words written so far is still a good number, but not as astronomical when it's been 9 days, not just 6 days. Also, I may as well include here that my goal this year is 70,000 words during the event. It is completely doable; last year I wrote a little over 100k. 

November writing continues to happen! 

This is the 4TW leaderboard in TrackBear on 11/6/2024. Participants are from around the globe, so our days and times vary.

MoW'24 (Month of Writing) Day 2

I'm still going with Month of Writing (MoW), even though the overall event is actually October 28 - December 12th. I am focusing on fiction for November, with CNF and composed work emails and other fictions than the November story, on the other days. If I can't get traction on a day in the long form fiction (potential Novel Shitty First Draft/Pre-Draft), then I will include other new writing, as well.

On November 2nd I wrote 2356 words. This brings my November word count so far to 4,799 words written. And my total event words are 12,411 words written since October 28th. I almost typed, "not bad." But the truth is, that IS a really decent word count for six days. I'm content with those numbers.

Today (11/2) was 50% long form fiction words and 50% CNF rough draft. I'm satisfied with my word count and the content. These are interesting times and there is much to write about.

Thank you, 4TW and TrackBear, for all you do to support writing and writers. 

November Writing Marathon

This year, my annual writing marathon looks a little different. But it's still happening. 

This year I am writing at 4TheWords and tracking my stats at TrackBear. The 4TW group has an unofficial group "leaderboard" at TrackBear, which is also fun. Of course I signed up for that, as well. They did a different type of challenge in July and it was helpful and fun. 

Writer accountability and a bit of friendly competition (even just competition with oneself!) is a good thing during a writing marathon.

This year I am going to aim for 70,000 words in this event period. With Nano, their system was 50k words in 30 days. The 4TW special event, Weathercraft Terrarium, is 40 days, so I'm adding words to my goal. Last year I wrote over 100,000 words in November alone. I don't know that I have that in me this year, but an additional ten days, I needed to add words *grin.*

My longtime writing pal and I decided to keep our tradition of the midnight kickoff when October 31 becomes November 1. We planned our snacks, got together a few hours before midnight for dinner and conversation and getting ready, then - boom - midnight and we were off. 

The 4TW event officially started on October 28th. I did writing starting that day, so my word count from October 28th is over 10k already. My word count for November 1st, which is when I started a fiction story -which could be a novel- was 2443 (see the screenshot at top right). From Nov 1 - Dec 10 I will be writing primarily fiction, but if other words are also written (they will be, I have no doubt), those will also be included in my total; but I do have separate files where I'm writing so that the content is clear. Some of what will be in my "other" writing file will include some drafts for future Substack essays.

So. November writing looks different and it is still happening, snacks and coffee and writer friendships.

Thank you to 4TW and TrackBear for helping me get my butt in the chair and words on the page. And for making it fun and all of the encouragement, special events, and camaraderie.

https://4thewords.com/writefest

Our 2024 Month Of Writing snacks included gouda cheese, jicama, grapefruit, green olives, water & coffee/tea & Chaider, Oh My Ghee popcorn, Chick-a-Boom Sweet & Salty popcorn, and assorted chocolates. And laptop charging cords, of course, which isn't a human snack but a snack needed by our electronic devices. 

snack photos by Kathryn LePage ;-)

Not Yet Fall, I Promise

 

Just checking in. It has been a while. Nearly six months.

I've been writing quite a bit. Had an essay published recently, which was awesome. I will find the link and put it in here, so anyone who drops by can go read it.

These are weird times and I'm not sure what to say. The 2020's keep ripping my heart out. I sew it back up, I patch the holes, I find new energy elsewhere, then someone else closes their practice or retires or decides they don't want the reminder that COVID is still a thing and still a threat and some of us are still taking precautions. For ourselves and others. But my and my partner's mask wearing seems to make some people uncomfortable. I think it reminds them that the threat is still out there and they've learned how to ignore it; they don't want to be reminded. They don't want to risk feeling guilty or pity or whatever it is that my mask induces in their psyche. It's just a KN95 to keep me from getting COVID and the potential negative outcomes, due to a genetic condition I have which puts me at pretty high risk. Each new discovery about how covid damages the body, potential causes of Long Covid, the unseen damage for organs, including heart and lungs but not limited to - each discovery results in more reasons why my body is a very bad candidate for a covid infection. It's an invisible genetic condition but lethal when mixed with a vascular disease, one that seems to do a lot of its damage by use of blood clots.

So people back away.

People become distant.

We become the people who slip into out of sight = out of mind.

Or the people who are too much trouble to try to be around.

Because people don't want to wear masks.

People don't want to be reminded.

People seem to not want to know.

I miss theater.

I miss hanging out in cafes, writing, meeting with friends.

I miss my cat.

I miss feeling safe in my body, in my communities.

I am fortunate to have an online writing community, who also do things in person, and fly to other places to congregate. I went to one of the in-person events a few years ago. We all wore masks. The space was very open and ventilated. I drove with a friend and we were very cautious along the way. Those special gatherings are happening once or twice a year. But it's no longer safe for me to participate. No masks. No precautions except - well, the precaution for me is I can't go. I miss those gatherings; but I still have the online part of that community, which was an online community well before covid reared its nasty head.

The photo is from one of out tomato harvests. Three types of cherry tomatoes; our favorites are still the sun golds. And a couple of types of full size tomatoes. One of the plants, I did mistakenly purchase the type which becomes ripe nearly all at once; my intention was to do the opposite. It just means a full load or two of dehydrated tomatoes, maybe some gazpacho, some of the cherry tomatoes will go into the freezer.

In a few days I will also have a small vacation, part of which will be spent at the coast. During that time my only two goals are to rest, and to read the M-book from cover to cover -out loud- and then wrap up this round of edits. Mostly, I think it is really close. Really, really close.

Tomorrow our temperatures are also rising back up to 100, 101 for a few days. I'll need to pick the tomatoes before they split on the vine.

All I will say about NaNoWriMo right now is that I'm done. There have been some negative incidents, mishandling, accusations, a takeover, and more. It should have paused in the last transition, but it didn't; it kept going while trying to reorganize - paddling into the current and nearly capsizing. It has now all but capsized and the problems are probably its death knoll. I'm done, too. Another loss; another sadness. But I will keep writing and I will probably keep my big November writing push. It will just be done elsewhere and nowhere near the current incarnation of the the moniker.

Also, two people in as many days - people I know in real life - has said "Well, now that it's fall." It is not fall. It's the beginning of September. The light has shifted. Kids are back in school. The nights are cooler even when the days get hot. But it is categorically still summer. September, yes; Fall, no.

Did You Know: Scarlet Maples Hold Their Leaves Until Spring?

Sometimes it's the simple things which bring pleasure, maybe even joy. Or in the case of such a simple fix, it brings us a sense of safety. Which will seem ridiculous when I tell you what it was. 

Somehow it fits. With this photo I took almost a week ago: the moon through the scarlet maple, still full of the rust colored leaves from fall, waiting for the spring bud to emerge, green, pushing away the crisp leaves. I was sitting in my car, a few minutes of transition from the drive home from work, before going into the house.

The moon in an a nearly totally clear sky. Its light bright and soothing, lightly illuminating the places out of sight from the ineffective street lamps.

The very simple thing I did a few days ago? I bought small, palm-sized motion sensor lights to put on the stairs. The light fixture on the top stair landing has always been funky, but it gave out several years ago. No one wanted to replace it for us, because - well, reasons. No way either of us are going to try to install or repair anything involving electrical wires. So we're always extra cautious going up and down the stairs at night. There is a little light bleed from the front porch, or a little on the landing if the upstairs light is on; but there are dark patches with very little usable light. We've managed. We've never fallen. There is railing. And. For safety reasons, adding light on the stairs seemed like a good idea.

It was and it is. Every time I have to go up or down the stairs at night right now, I smile. I can see each step. I can see the piece of mail I forgot to put away. I can see the water bottle I left on the stairs. I can see the fanned corner at the bottom.

Such a simple solution. No holes were drilled, no wires messed with, no big expense or major time investment. Yet we are safer and more comfortable moving through the house at night.

A little light on the stairs, which automatically turn on when we approach, and turn off about 10-15 seconds after motions stops.

I wonder what other simple solutions are just around the corner. 

Next week I will be meeting with a beta reader of the manuscript. He is one of my "book lights" I'd say. I look forward to seeing where his light falls and where he found shadows, or what questions remain.

I don't think there is a this simple of a solution for getting the manuscript from here to publishing. But maybe keeping the focus on each step, each edit, each round of feedback will do the trick. 

There is a bit of light coming through and a path going forward. Like the moon through the scarlet maple anticipating spring. Like me with my slippered feet making their way more confidently down the stairs for a cup of nighttime tea. 

One step. One light. Keep going.