Stockings hung on doorknobs
Early morning hours
Sisters waking sisters
Oldest not so thrilled
Middle twirling in excitement
Youngest giggling madly
Wrapping paper on the bed
CD's, nail polish, lipgloss
Sisters taking turns
Oldest slowly waking
Middle admiring new things
Youngest dreaming of downstairs
Finally 6:30am
Time to wake the parents
Sisters send in the youngest
Oldest puts on slippers
Middle leads me to the door
Youngest jumps on Mom and Dad
Parents grumble, but slowly emerge
After several hits of the snooze button
Sisters sit on the top stair
Oldest is not a morning person
Middle smells the bacon cooking
Youngest wonders if Santa is still there
'All clear' is announced
Santa is gone and has left a bounty
Sisters tumble down to the living room
Oldest getting excited
Middle wants to hand out gifts
Youngest overwhelmed by the sight of the tree
Father reads from Luke
Mother finishes breakfast
Sisters sit in anticipation
Christmas morning has come
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Christmas in the South
For all my pep talking and determination, I've spent the last several days in Christmas preparations. So fun. Shopping and wrapping and baking...at one point I caught myself running around the house with my cutie apron on, listing to Christmas jazz, and wondering when on earth I stepped back in time sixty years. I have an upcoming trip up to the in-laws and in an ever and on-going attempt to break the awkward, I decided that Christmas treats would be the way to go this year. So sugar cookies, gingerbread men, and peppermint bark are filling up my kitchen counter tops.
It's not all prep, though. My husband and I have had the chance here and there to go out and see how South Carolina does Christmas. Especially beautiful was Brookgreen Garden's Night of 1,000 Candles. Here's a few pictures of the moonlit sculptures, Spanish moss, Christmas fairies, and (of course) candles.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Brave or Stupid?
I was watching the Ugly Betty episode where Daniel decides to use all his own resources to keep the company going when they're basically bankrupt. Two other characters called him brave and it got me thinking...those two people might think him brave, but I bet the rest of us are calling him stupid. That seems to be the way of TV shows. Someone chooses something 'crazy' and we all say "Oh, that's a dumb move." Until the end of the show when it all works out and everyone is thrilled and we all say "Well, maybe not so stupid after all. Look how happy they all are!"
I was raised to believe myself brave for doing sensible, responsible things. Hard work and diligence are what move us forward in this life - Even if you don't love what you're doing or where it's taking you. Pushing ahead and being miserable is the 'brave' thing to do.
While I agree that sacrifice is a very beautiful and difficult thing to do, I don't think sacrificing happiness just for the sake of doing so is at all brave. In fact, I think it's very cowardly. It says life as it is, is good enough and can't get any better. It's proof that fear is crippling every choice to the point where risk is not an option.
Acting bravely requires risk. It involves taking a chance that it could all blow up in your face and fail miserably. Usually choosing to act bravely has one person saying "yeah, go, you can do it!" (maybe the one person is you) and all the rest saying "are you sure you want to do this? It sounds kinda stupid."
For me, I think an act of bravery would be to call myself a writer. Not a substitute teacher or a home-maker, but to create a self-fulfilling prophecy that I will get published and start to really work towards that goal. There are those in my life that say with sarcastic undertones "okay. good luck." There are also those that really believe I can do it. As of today: I'm going to choose to ignore the sarcasm, take in and learn from constructive criticism, and listen only to support.
I wonder if already published authors had those same naysayers in their life before being published. People telling them in not so many words that dreaming of the New York Times Bestsellers list is dreaming too big. Aren't dreams supposed to be big? Isn't that why Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory watches the Nobel Prize awards?
What dreams are you afraid of voicing? Be brave: say it out loud and let the power of those words propel you towards your goal.
I was raised to believe myself brave for doing sensible, responsible things. Hard work and diligence are what move us forward in this life - Even if you don't love what you're doing or where it's taking you. Pushing ahead and being miserable is the 'brave' thing to do.
While I agree that sacrifice is a very beautiful and difficult thing to do, I don't think sacrificing happiness just for the sake of doing so is at all brave. In fact, I think it's very cowardly. It says life as it is, is good enough and can't get any better. It's proof that fear is crippling every choice to the point where risk is not an option.
Acting bravely requires risk. It involves taking a chance that it could all blow up in your face and fail miserably. Usually choosing to act bravely has one person saying "yeah, go, you can do it!" (maybe the one person is you) and all the rest saying "are you sure you want to do this? It sounds kinda stupid."
For me, I think an act of bravery would be to call myself a writer. Not a substitute teacher or a home-maker, but to create a self-fulfilling prophecy that I will get published and start to really work towards that goal. There are those in my life that say with sarcastic undertones "okay. good luck." There are also those that really believe I can do it. As of today: I'm going to choose to ignore the sarcasm, take in and learn from constructive criticism, and listen only to support.
I wonder if already published authors had those same naysayers in their life before being published. People telling them in not so many words that dreaming of the New York Times Bestsellers list is dreaming too big. Aren't dreams supposed to be big? Isn't that why Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory watches the Nobel Prize awards?
What dreams are you afraid of voicing? Be brave: say it out loud and let the power of those words propel you towards your goal.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
(Overdue) Advise from YallFest
A few things (serious and silly) that I picked up from YallFest Panels:
1. Root imaginary worlds in reality. Give your readers some signposts - it helps them connect to it.
2. Setting and landscape are super important, but don't forget about the time frame in which your story takes place. Time of day, time of year, decade, century is all important to keep in mind (even if it doesn't make it into the pages of your book).
3. Really bad writing comes from trying to write yourself: When we try to write ourselves, we're really not. We lack the distance and the result is something too perfect, or too self-debasing.
4. The usefulness of the slush pile is dwindling. Fewer and fewer books are making it out without being shredded. The solution? An Agent. It's becoming increasingly important to find an agent.
5. Finding an agent is like dating - find one who likes you and believes in your work. You don't want to go into business with someone who doesn't 'get' your work.
6. Immature poets imitate. Mature poets steal.
7. Carrie Ryan: The best weapon you can have in a zombie apocalypse is someone who runs slower than you.
8. If you're going back into history, take advantage of it. Go into the bigger cultural world.
9. Make sure your villain believes in what he/she is doing. Even the people you are vilifying need to make sense.
10. If you're stuck moving the plot forward, get out of your protagonist's head and enter your antagonist's.
11. Empathy is important: It's difficult to empathize with losing an entire nation, but very easy to feel for 2 or 3 people.
12. David Levithan: Writers don't peak, we just keep getting better with age (and experience).
13. Kami Garcia's fail-safe: Whenever the book is not working out you just need to add more making out.
1. Root imaginary worlds in reality. Give your readers some signposts - it helps them connect to it.
2. Setting and landscape are super important, but don't forget about the time frame in which your story takes place. Time of day, time of year, decade, century is all important to keep in mind (even if it doesn't make it into the pages of your book).
3. Really bad writing comes from trying to write yourself: When we try to write ourselves, we're really not. We lack the distance and the result is something too perfect, or too self-debasing.
4. The usefulness of the slush pile is dwindling. Fewer and fewer books are making it out without being shredded. The solution? An Agent. It's becoming increasingly important to find an agent.
5. Finding an agent is like dating - find one who likes you and believes in your work. You don't want to go into business with someone who doesn't 'get' your work.
6. Immature poets imitate. Mature poets steal.
7. Carrie Ryan: The best weapon you can have in a zombie apocalypse is someone who runs slower than you.
8. If you're going back into history, take advantage of it. Go into the bigger cultural world.
9. Make sure your villain believes in what he/she is doing. Even the people you are vilifying need to make sense.
10. If you're stuck moving the plot forward, get out of your protagonist's head and enter your antagonist's.
11. Empathy is important: It's difficult to empathize with losing an entire nation, but very easy to feel for 2 or 3 people.
12. David Levithan: Writers don't peak, we just keep getting better with age (and experience).
13. Kami Garcia's fail-safe: Whenever the book is not working out you just need to add more making out.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The End...of NaNo 2011
I discovered that trying to write an entire novel in a month and travel for a third of the time allotted is just plain crazy. Probably just the first part is crazy on its own, but here's a few lovely things that came out of my NaNo 2011 experience:
1. I wrote over 13,000 words this month! I think that whatever we accomplished deserves to be celebrated.
2. I found joy in writing again.
3. I started to write regularly. Three cheers for creating good habits! (Which may have been interrupted by 11 days of Thanksgiving travel.)
4. I have more defined goals when it comes to writing.
5. I have most of a book outlined. (Which is against NaNo's ideas - editing should start tomorrow morning. I started early and my word count suffered for it.)
6. I'm really excited to keep working on it!
Congratulations to all who participated in NaNo! Whether goals were met or not, I'm proud of us!
Personally, I will be focusing on creating a more sustainable writing schedule in December and January. Perhaps I'll do another word count push in February. Either way, I'll keep the counter going on the blog so you can see my progress. I am one who responds well to external motivation and knowing you're watching the counter will keep me thinking about pushing those numbers up.
How did you do? What did you learn? I'm anxious to hear!
1. I wrote over 13,000 words this month! I think that whatever we accomplished deserves to be celebrated.
2. I found joy in writing again.
3. I started to write regularly. Three cheers for creating good habits! (Which may have been interrupted by 11 days of Thanksgiving travel.)
4. I have more defined goals when it comes to writing.
5. I have most of a book outlined. (Which is against NaNo's ideas - editing should start tomorrow morning. I started early and my word count suffered for it.)
6. I'm really excited to keep working on it!
Congratulations to all who participated in NaNo! Whether goals were met or not, I'm proud of us!
Personally, I will be focusing on creating a more sustainable writing schedule in December and January. Perhaps I'll do another word count push in February. Either way, I'll keep the counter going on the blog so you can see my progress. I am one who responds well to external motivation and knowing you're watching the counter will keep me thinking about pushing those numbers up.
How did you do? What did you learn? I'm anxious to hear!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Super Short NaNo Update
I just spent most of the morning organizing the nearly 12,000 words I had so far written, because I was getting lost in them. I have a more traditional outline going now and discovered something both funny and overwhelming. The first pages I wrote on November 1st were literally the MIDDLE of my book. I've been pushing to catch up with them and just when I thought I was getting close, I realized that I have three whole chapters more to write just to catch up to them. Not to mention the string of unfinished and half written chapters before that. The good news: When I catch up, I bet I'm close to 25,000 words. The bad news: That surely won't be today. How are you guys doing?
Sunday, November 13, 2011
An Adventure in Parking, or My Day In Charleston, SC
A gorgeous, sunny day greeted me as I stepped out of my door juggling purse, shoulder bag, keys, phone, ipod, and extra large cinnamon flavored coffee. A perfect morning for a drive.
It's about two hours to Charleston and I left early knowing that there were logistics that I couldn't work out in advance, as you will see. I listened to She & Him's Christmas album and glided smoothly in a cinnamon scented, jingle-bell filled haze to the Yall Fest Charleston Young Adult Book Festival.
The Fest was based out of the Blue Bicycle Book store on King St. (It's just outside the shadow of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church - one of the many spires of Charleston.)
Okay, so King Street is about one horse carriage wide and yet they made it two lanes with parking on either side. Needless to say - I'm glad I took the Yaris. Also, once I got into downtown and found the book store, (luckily they had set up a big white tent in the gravel parking lot next door) I saw that our little Fest was not the only doings downtown that day. LOTS of people = LOTS of cars and no where to park. About a mile down the road, I found a metered spot, parked, and dug through my wallet to find exactly five nickles. Long story slightly shorter, I walked back and forth about three times getting cash/quarters to plug the meter (thanks to the girl at the Pita Pit) and looking for a more permanent parking solution. Found out there was a parking garage right around the corner from the book store and they were comping the parking fees. Phew.
An hour later, I made it to my first of five panels - DEMONS, WITCHES, AND CASTERS, OH MY!
A quick note about downtown Charleston itself: It's beautiful. It reminded me of a little London. The smell of old brick with new paint mingled with the scent of warm cement. Add to that the dozens of restaurants advertising their wares by opening their doors. It's colorful and busy, old and modern. A mix of architecture and palmetto trees. Just lovely.
Now, I took geeky notes at all of the panels and learned oh, so much. (All of which I will post tomorrow.) But here are a few things that happened:
Sarah Rees Brennan stood on her chair and reenacted how she tested the strength of the Millennium Bridge in London (for research, of course). People and guards yelling at her,
"Don't do it?"
"Do what?"
"Don't jump, your life is worth it!"
"Oh, no you don't understand, I'm a writer!"
(Very funny.)
Kami Garcia admitted her hatred of cats because, as everyone knows, "they see spirits".
Okay, so King Street is about one horse carriage wide and yet they made it two lanes with parking on either side. Needless to say - I'm glad I took the Yaris. Also, once I got into downtown and found the book store, (luckily they had set up a big white tent in the gravel parking lot next door) I saw that our little Fest was not the only doings downtown that day. LOTS of people = LOTS of cars and no where to park. About a mile down the road, I found a metered spot, parked, and dug through my wallet to find exactly five nickles. Long story slightly shorter, I walked back and forth about three times getting cash/quarters to plug the meter (thanks to the girl at the Pita Pit) and looking for a more permanent parking solution. Found out there was a parking garage right around the corner from the book store and they were comping the parking fees. Phew.
An hour later, I made it to my first of five panels - DEMONS, WITCHES, AND CASTERS, OH MY!
A quick note about downtown Charleston itself: It's beautiful. It reminded me of a little London. The smell of old brick with new paint mingled with the scent of warm cement. Add to that the dozens of restaurants advertising their wares by opening their doors. It's colorful and busy, old and modern. A mix of architecture and palmetto trees. Just lovely.
Now, I took geeky notes at all of the panels and learned oh, so much. (All of which I will post tomorrow.) But here are a few things that happened:
Sarah Rees Brennan stood on her chair and reenacted how she tested the strength of the Millennium Bridge in London (for research, of course). People and guards yelling at her,
"Don't do it?"
"Do what?"
"Don't jump, your life is worth it!"
"Oh, no you don't understand, I'm a writer!"
(Very funny.)
Kami Garcia admitted her hatred of cats because, as everyone knows, "they see spirits".
I sat next to Melissa Bigner during the REALITY BITES panel. She was so sweet and introduced herself with the confidence of someone who's seen their name in print. So, of course, I had to find her on Google.
I started crying when Kwame Alexander demonstrated how you can connect to an audience in just 10 lines of poetry during the UNDEAD POETS SOCIETY panel.
I discovered the richness of Southern culture and superstition in the PUTTING THE YALL IN YALLFEST panel.
My favorite moment must have been when the panel of DON'T DIS-TOPIAN ended the session by arguing who of them would make the best Princess Leia. In an effort to end on time, the moderator decided it would be Eliot Schrefer. (The only male on the panel.)
The day ended in an all-to-quickly-over YA Smackdown where 26 authors improvised books in 10 seconds and Eliot won the 'golden pie' award. (It was literally a golden pie on a chain - flava flav style.)
Starbucks lifted my spirits and I drove home to crash. What a day. Lessons to come. In the meantime here are some pictures from my Charleston adventure.
I started crying when Kwame Alexander demonstrated how you can connect to an audience in just 10 lines of poetry during the UNDEAD POETS SOCIETY panel.
I discovered the richness of Southern culture and superstition in the PUTTING THE YALL IN YALLFEST panel.
My favorite moment must have been when the panel of DON'T DIS-TOPIAN ended the session by arguing who of them would make the best Princess Leia. In an effort to end on time, the moderator decided it would be Eliot Schrefer. (The only male on the panel.)
The day ended in an all-to-quickly-over YA Smackdown where 26 authors improvised books in 10 seconds and Eliot won the 'golden pie' award. (It was literally a golden pie on a chain - flava flav style.)
Starbucks lifted my spirits and I drove home to crash. What a day. Lessons to come. In the meantime here are some pictures from my Charleston adventure.
King St. Shops
Do you see how narrow?
The Pita Pit - my ATM, quarters, and bathroom savior.
Have you ever seen a prettier Urban Outfitters?
Marion Square, Charleston
St Matthews
Me with Kami Garcia and Victoria Schwab
The PUTTING THE YALL IN YALLFEST Panel
(minus Katie Crouch)
Saundra Mitchell, Carrie Ryan, Michelle Hodkin, and Beth Revis
Me and Beth Revis :)
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Taking a Deep Breath. NaNo Day 10.
I'm not done writing today. I promise.
With that said, you might note that I haven't added too many words to my word count-o-meter in the last couple of days. However, some really great things have come out of my 4500 marathon.
First, seeing the 10,000 mark was oddly overwhelming. A weird sense of responsibility to finish the story took over and I went to bed dreaming about my story. (Like I do when I'm in the middle of reading a really good book. So, I take that as a good omen.)
Second: The outline for my little book is extensive. My plot has thickened! I am so happy with the progress I've made and I'm already feeling proud of what I'm creating. That's a big deal!
Third. Since Sunday, I've needed to chill out a bit, but I was feeling a little guilty for falling behind just as I had caught up. Some really awesome people have written some really great stress-relieving blogs:
Jes, you're so right about the having fun part.
Sunday was super fun, but also super draining. I needed the time to really pound out a huge chunk of story. And in that way, NaNo is such a motivator for me. I am a person who needs some external motivation. But I don't want to come out of November sick of writing, either. It's all about creating lasting habits.
Beth Revis wrote about herself and other authors in the Young Adult realm of literature. It's short, but very encouraging for those of us who would love to someday be the new kid on the block.
Maureen Johnson (who is writing NaNoWriMo advise daily, fyi) in her 11/10 post writes simply that "try as you might, you can't force the voice".
Who hasn't hit a point where the words just don't want to come? It's true that sometimes I'm all 'talked' out, or maybe my characters are. It's okay if they're not speaking to me today. I have faith that they won't be silent very long.
It was good timing to read these lovely notes. After so much good progress, I took a long deep breath and now I'm ready to forge on ahead again. The big run was exciting, but slow and steady wins the race.
There's been much debate over NaNo and the quality of work that comes out of it. Personally, I'm using the word count goals to get my bum in the chair typing. I'm new at this and here's an opportunity to create good habits and network with tons of other people who are in the same boat.
I know I'll have a LOT of work to do after NaNo in order to have something worth reading. But as a new writer, I couldn't ask for a better (or more intense) network of support.
Okay, back to work.
With that said, you might note that I haven't added too many words to my word count-o-meter in the last couple of days. However, some really great things have come out of my 4500 marathon.
First, seeing the 10,000 mark was oddly overwhelming. A weird sense of responsibility to finish the story took over and I went to bed dreaming about my story. (Like I do when I'm in the middle of reading a really good book. So, I take that as a good omen.)
Second: The outline for my little book is extensive. My plot has thickened! I am so happy with the progress I've made and I'm already feeling proud of what I'm creating. That's a big deal!
Third. Since Sunday, I've needed to chill out a bit, but I was feeling a little guilty for falling behind just as I had caught up. Some really awesome people have written some really great stress-relieving blogs:
Jes, you're so right about the having fun part.
Sunday was super fun, but also super draining. I needed the time to really pound out a huge chunk of story. And in that way, NaNo is such a motivator for me. I am a person who needs some external motivation. But I don't want to come out of November sick of writing, either. It's all about creating lasting habits.
Beth Revis wrote about herself and other authors in the Young Adult realm of literature. It's short, but very encouraging for those of us who would love to someday be the new kid on the block.
Maureen Johnson (who is writing NaNoWriMo advise daily, fyi) in her 11/10 post writes simply that "try as you might, you can't force the voice".
Who hasn't hit a point where the words just don't want to come? It's true that sometimes I'm all 'talked' out, or maybe my characters are. It's okay if they're not speaking to me today. I have faith that they won't be silent very long.
It was good timing to read these lovely notes. After so much good progress, I took a long deep breath and now I'm ready to forge on ahead again. The big run was exciting, but slow and steady wins the race.
There's been much debate over NaNo and the quality of work that comes out of it. Personally, I'm using the word count goals to get my bum in the chair typing. I'm new at this and here's an opportunity to create good habits and network with tons of other people who are in the same boat.
I know I'll have a LOT of work to do after NaNo in order to have something worth reading. But as a new writer, I couldn't ask for a better (or more intense) network of support.
Okay, back to work.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
YallFest Charleston Young Adult Book Festival
I just learned that this weekend, Charleston is holding the 1st annual YallFest. It's bringing 20 top YA authors (including my new fav, Beth Revis) for two days of seminars, master classes, and smackdown.
I'm so excited!!! I'm so going. All events are free and open to the public except the Author Smackdown. (But I'm guessing $5 will be well worth it to watch all 20 authors on stage at once.) Check it out!
I'm so excited!!! I'm so going. All events are free and open to the public except the Author Smackdown. (But I'm guessing $5 will be well worth it to watch all 20 authors on stage at once.) Check it out!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
NaNo Day 6 Live-Blog
8:27a: *rolls over and looks at the clock* I'm not sure if it's really 8:27 or 7:27. Thanks Daylight Savings...
7:50a: Yep, it was 7:27. I need coffee.
8:18a: Coffee is brewing and I'm blogging. Two more minutes to check facebook/emails, then time to write.
8:45a: Two minutes turned into twelve. However, dishwasher is now emptied and coffee is in hand. Hubby is making breakfast (hooray) so I need to get a few hundred words written before that's ready...
8:54a: Name! A Name! I need to name this beautiful boy!!
Word Count: 30
9:11a: Still no name. I'm about to just write 'boy'.
Word Count: 217
10:35a: Fed, showered, and moved to a less distracting writing area.
Word Count: Same. But wait till you see the next update....
11:18a: Plodding through a difficult section. I'm starting to get worried.
Word Count: 425, but I have a good 10 hours or more. That's just 408 words an hour. I can do this, I can do this...
11:40a: A Name! I found a name!!!
11:52a: Hubby will be leaving for work soon. I'll be in need of a cheering section, if you're up for it:
Word Count: 582
11:58a: SOMEBODY MAKE TIME SLOW DOWN!!!!!
12:06p: If I make it to 1000, I can get a snack. Yeah, I'm bargaining now.
Word Count: 708
12:30p: So, maybe the threat of food works...or maybe I've gotten past the trickier part. Either way, it's time for lunch
Word Count: 1011!!!
12:59p: Quick snack. Furious typing and a phone call.
Word Count: 1111. Hehehe. That's fun.
1:13p: Hitting a stride, but 4500 seems so far away...
Word Count:1322.
1:43p: Just found an invisible staircase. Huh, didn't know that was there...
Word Count:1611
2:11p: Car alarm made me jump out of my skin. Hahaha! Well, maybe you had to be here.
Word Count: 1865
2:29p: My cat is whining pathetically outside the door. Time for a break.
Word Count: 2012!!!!! (that reminds me, isn't the world supposed to end soon?)
3:47p: Snacked a little - there's nothing really in the house to snack on, so I settled for a couple of pickles. Must put grocery shopping on the list of things to do tomorrow. Rested a little and watched one episode of Ugly Betty. :) Now we're back to it.
Word Count: 2208
3:48p: I'm at a crossroads. Not sure what to write next. Finished one thought and I know what happens next on one side, but not on the other...Need coffee.
3:50p: *watches coffee pot slowly drip*
3:51p: *wonders why she's loosing followers on twitter* (couldn't have anything to do with the nonsense going on here, right? This is riveting stuff!)
3:55p: Finally! Coffee!!
Word Count: Same. But I'm on my way to being caffeinated and am wearing jingle bell rings to keep we alert. Now if the phone would just stop ringing...
5:03p: The good news. I'm half way to my overall goal today. I've worked some more on the outline and I'm starting to think I'll have no problem getting to 50,000 eventually. (It's a surprisingly complicated plot.) The bad news. It's after 5 and I'm only half done! It's been 8 hours already! Mini Goal: 3000 words before dinner.
Word Count: 2268 (yes, that's right. only 60 words written in the last 2 1/2 hours. Yikes.
5:09p: I mentioned dinner. Now all I can think about is dinner. Mmmm yummy dinner.
5:35p: Got my groove back:
Word Count: 2598! Let's do this. Can I get a Hell Yeah?! *raises hand to ear*
(cricket, cricket)
6:12p: Word Count: 3020! Time to eat!
7:39p: Took more time than I probably should have. But I watched the Packers win! Now I'm looking for a third wind. Could so use a pep talk, but I've already read NaNo's twice.
7:56p: Plodding along. Words, words, words...The stories moving, but I'm not so worried about the sentence quality right now.
Word Count: 3245
8:13p: So tired, so very tired. Want to stop, really want to stop.
8:17p: Beth has joined the game! Hooray! We CAN do this! You're right, Beth! Go, Go, Go!!!!! (Note the use of exclamation points!!!)
Word Count: 3447
8:35p: Overall word count just crossed 9,000!!!!! Holy cow, I just might actually do this. Less than a thousand to go...ha!
Word Count: 3560
8:57p: I wasted a few minutes writing an email. Beth, you're totally going to beat me! :)
9:20p: Word Count 4021! I'm so going to do this! I'm so sick of sitting!!! So many things to exclaim! (so little time.)
Word Count: 3704. Under 800 to go...
9:35p: Word Count: 4159. Motivation slowing....Congrats Beth! So happy for you!!!
10:04p: In general, my whole body is getting shaky. I have a new found understanding of Stephanie's/Beth's Blog Bet.
Word Count: 4436. Break out the drum roll.... :)
10:14p: Bed Time (I'm singing it) Bed Time!!! So happy to sleep!!!
Word Count: 4575.
And I'm out. Wooo!!!! Thanks for taking the journey with me. I appreciate the support!
7:50a: Yep, it was 7:27. I need coffee.
8:18a: Coffee is brewing and I'm blogging. Two more minutes to check facebook/emails, then time to write.
8:45a: Two minutes turned into twelve. However, dishwasher is now emptied and coffee is in hand. Hubby is making breakfast (hooray) so I need to get a few hundred words written before that's ready...
8:54a: Name! A Name! I need to name this beautiful boy!!
Word Count: 30
9:11a: Still no name. I'm about to just write 'boy'.
Word Count: 217
10:35a: Fed, showered, and moved to a less distracting writing area.
Word Count: Same. But wait till you see the next update....
11:18a: Plodding through a difficult section. I'm starting to get worried.
Word Count: 425, but I have a good 10 hours or more. That's just 408 words an hour. I can do this, I can do this...
11:40a: A Name! I found a name!!!
11:52a: Hubby will be leaving for work soon. I'll be in need of a cheering section, if you're up for it:
Word Count: 582
11:58a: SOMEBODY MAKE TIME SLOW DOWN!!!!!
12:06p: If I make it to 1000, I can get a snack. Yeah, I'm bargaining now.
Word Count: 708
12:30p: So, maybe the threat of food works...or maybe I've gotten past the trickier part. Either way, it's time for lunch
Word Count: 1011!!!
12:59p: Quick snack. Furious typing and a phone call.
Word Count: 1111. Hehehe. That's fun.
1:13p: Hitting a stride, but 4500 seems so far away...
Word Count:1322.
1:43p: Just found an invisible staircase. Huh, didn't know that was there...
Word Count:1611
2:11p: Car alarm made me jump out of my skin. Hahaha! Well, maybe you had to be here.
Word Count: 1865
2:29p: My cat is whining pathetically outside the door. Time for a break.
Word Count: 2012!!!!! (that reminds me, isn't the world supposed to end soon?)
3:47p: Snacked a little - there's nothing really in the house to snack on, so I settled for a couple of pickles. Must put grocery shopping on the list of things to do tomorrow. Rested a little and watched one episode of Ugly Betty. :) Now we're back to it.
Word Count: 2208
3:48p: I'm at a crossroads. Not sure what to write next. Finished one thought and I know what happens next on one side, but not on the other...Need coffee.
3:50p: *watches coffee pot slowly drip*
3:51p: *wonders why she's loosing followers on twitter* (couldn't have anything to do with the nonsense going on here, right? This is riveting stuff!)
3:55p: Finally! Coffee!!
Word Count: Same. But I'm on my way to being caffeinated and am wearing jingle bell rings to keep we alert. Now if the phone would just stop ringing...
5:03p: The good news. I'm half way to my overall goal today. I've worked some more on the outline and I'm starting to think I'll have no problem getting to 50,000 eventually. (It's a surprisingly complicated plot.) The bad news. It's after 5 and I'm only half done! It's been 8 hours already! Mini Goal: 3000 words before dinner.
Word Count: 2268 (yes, that's right. only 60 words written in the last 2 1/2 hours. Yikes.
5:09p: I mentioned dinner. Now all I can think about is dinner. Mmmm yummy dinner.
5:35p: Got my groove back:
Word Count: 2598! Let's do this. Can I get a Hell Yeah?! *raises hand to ear*
(cricket, cricket)
6:12p: Word Count: 3020! Time to eat!
7:39p: Took more time than I probably should have. But I watched the Packers win! Now I'm looking for a third wind. Could so use a pep talk, but I've already read NaNo's twice.
7:56p: Plodding along. Words, words, words...The stories moving, but I'm not so worried about the sentence quality right now.
Word Count: 3245
8:13p: So tired, so very tired. Want to stop, really want to stop.
8:17p: Beth has joined the game! Hooray! We CAN do this! You're right, Beth! Go, Go, Go!!!!! (Note the use of exclamation points!!!)
Word Count: 3447
8:35p: Overall word count just crossed 9,000!!!!! Holy cow, I just might actually do this. Less than a thousand to go...ha!
Word Count: 3560
8:57p: I wasted a few minutes writing an email. Beth, you're totally going to beat me! :)
9:20p: Word Count 4021! I'm so going to do this! I'm so sick of sitting!!! So many things to exclaim! (so little time.)
Word Count: 3704. Under 800 to go...
9:35p: Word Count: 4159. Motivation slowing....Congrats Beth! So happy for you!!!
10:04p: In general, my whole body is getting shaky. I have a new found understanding of Stephanie's/Beth's Blog Bet.
Word Count: 4436. Break out the drum roll.... :)
10:14p: Bed Time (I'm singing it) Bed Time!!! So happy to sleep!!!
Word Count: 4575.
And I'm out. Wooo!!!! Thanks for taking the journey with me. I appreciate the support!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
NaNo Sprint
I've been terrible the last couple of days with word counts. I wrote 201 words today. Eek. Tomorrow I rectify my bad behavior and to that end I'm setting a crazy, catch-up kind of goal.
4500 words tomorrow. That's my goal. I'll do my own little live-blog and keep you updated as to where I am and what I'm procrastinating with. (with what I'm procrastinating?)
That is not to say that I haven't made progress in the last two days. There has been much outlining and brainstorming...also much Starbucksing and window shopping...
I'm off to sleep now, because as you can see, my writing is going down hill.
We'll talk more in the morning.
4500 words tomorrow. That's my goal. I'll do my own little live-blog and keep you updated as to where I am and what I'm procrastinating with. (with what I'm procrastinating?)
That is not to say that I haven't made progress in the last two days. There has been much outlining and brainstorming...also much Starbucksing and window shopping...
I'm off to sleep now, because as you can see, my writing is going down hill.
We'll talk more in the morning.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Discouragement
You know the scene in Anne of Green gables where Gilbert is telling Anne to stop writing her sensational stories and to just write about what she knows and loves. Ahh, Gilbert...*dreams for a moment*
Anyway, I'm starting to worry that my little adventure is going to fall on the melodramatic side and no one will like it. I know, I know, it's day 4 of a long journey: 30 days of spitting out plot, dialogue, landscape will hopefully result in a pile of papers that I can then spend the next few months making readable.
It's too soon to be despairing, but it's never to early to be discouraged.
And then I got a text from a new friend:
"So are you going to be famous soon?"
To which I laughingly replied:
"Only if you know something I don't"
And he said:
"Well, I have faith in you."
Oh, good timing! Oh, wonderful encouragement!
Let's get back to work!
Word count so far today:
I spent most of this morning outlining. I needed to brainstorm a little. Do those words count?
P.S. Check out Maureen Johnson's blog for some good advise.
Anyway, I'm starting to worry that my little adventure is going to fall on the melodramatic side and no one will like it. I know, I know, it's day 4 of a long journey: 30 days of spitting out plot, dialogue, landscape will hopefully result in a pile of papers that I can then spend the next few months making readable.
It's too soon to be despairing, but it's never to early to be discouraged.
And then I got a text from a new friend:
"So are you going to be famous soon?"
To which I laughingly replied:
"Only if you know something I don't"
And he said:
"Well, I have faith in you."
Oh, good timing! Oh, wonderful encouragement!
Let's get back to work!
Word count so far today:
I spent most of this morning outlining. I needed to brainstorm a little. Do those words count?
P.S. Check out Maureen Johnson's blog for some good advise.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
NaNo Ideas
So, I got a little distracted today. It's still early, so we'll see what I can pull out of my literary hat yet. Basically, I had to run an errand at the mall and suddenly found myself with peppermint mocha in hand, fingering pretty sequined dresses and fair isle sweaters. It just felt good to be walking and interacting with other human beings - I hadn't left the house in...what day is it?...yikes, 6 days. Okay, so maybe getting distracted was necessary today. Still, I have only 450 words so far and I've discovered that I need to write a song. One with old, meaningful lyrics that are somehow important to the story. Well, while I work on that, here are a few sites that are going around on twitter that might help us:
Emotion chart: if you realize you're using the same one over and over, check this out.
If you need a pep talk this is fun.
Tips from Anthony Francis, Jr: 6 time NaNo winner. Chris Baty tweeted this himself.
Words of Inspiration:
From the fabulous Pat Blogahan (Lead Vocalist of Train):
Autumn is probably my favorite time of year. The colors mean everything to me. I’ve always felt like autumn inside. Leaves, which are green and unnoticed for much of their life spans, become vibrant and filled with personality and reason to pay attention.
Its a reminder that you can’t ever expect anyone to know your potential. Only you know your potential. Only you know what your capable of and what your boundaries and limitations are.
Happy Writing!
Emotion chart: if you realize you're using the same one over and over, check this out.
If you need a pep talk this is fun.
Tips from Anthony Francis, Jr: 6 time NaNo winner. Chris Baty tweeted this himself.
Words of Inspiration:
From the fabulous Pat Blogahan (Lead Vocalist of Train):
Autumn is probably my favorite time of year. The colors mean everything to me. I’ve always felt like autumn inside. Leaves, which are green and unnoticed for much of their life spans, become vibrant and filled with personality and reason to pay attention.
Its a reminder that you can’t ever expect anyone to know your potential. Only you know your potential. Only you know what your capable of and what your boundaries and limitations are.
Happy Writing!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Day 2: My brain's getting fuzzy.
Word count-wise I'm feeling pretty good about NaNo progress. However, I feel that today's quality of work has gone down a little. Oh well, words are words. I'll deal with quality after November - I just don't want to feel like I have delete it all and start over. It's probably because I did a lot of description today and not much plot. I'll have to remedy that. Tomorrow will be better, I can feel it. :) How are you doing?
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
1st NaNo Update
Today I met a shape-shifter who has forgotten how to shift shapes.
Who have you met today? What did you learn about them?
I feel that this is a promising start! I've complete day one's goal of 1700 words. I'm going to try and go back to it after updating everything and get to 2000.
P.S. Check out Beth Revis' new contest here. Blog about your favorite book and you could win 19 Young Adult books - most signed by the authors!
Who have you met today? What did you learn about them?
I feel that this is a promising start! I've complete day one's goal of 1700 words. I'm going to try and go back to it after updating everything and get to 2000.
P.S. Check out Beth Revis' new contest here. Blog about your favorite book and you could win 19 Young Adult books - most signed by the authors!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Shiny Pennies Part 2 (Updated)
I just wanted to show you the pretty things that are now planted
and/or carved because of yesterday's crazy.
(Gorgeous fall mums)
I don't think I mentioned the Calla Lilies, but they entered
the story just after the mums did.
(Black Calla Lilies! How perfect for fall/Halloween!)
Here are the pumpkins. My hand suffered for the owl.
Luckily it did not impede the ability to type.
It might hinder the writing, though.
So, obviously, I played in the dirt, carved pumpkins,
and watched Ugly Betty instead of writing.
(The Ugly Betty part might not be so obvious.)
Alright. The next post will cover all the wisdom I'll glean
from this writing exercise. And judging by
my typing this morning, it will be a scribbled mess.
This must be done before NaNo!
NaNo starts tomorrow!!!
Yikes!!!
(The following was completed 24 hours later:)
I only finished half of my short story before I was overtaken by the NaNo wave. However, here's what I found useful, fun, or annoying about pen vs. keyboard:
1. I love scratching notes in the margins of what to come back and fix. - So efficient! (if you can read your own writing...)
2. Doodling. I forgot how awesome it is to doodle!
3. Hand cramping. It brought be back to every first day of school after an entire summer off of taking notes.
4. Batteries or outlets were never a concern.
5. Non-linear thinking. Sometimes I like to flip the paper around or write in wavy lines. Why not? No one else needs to decipher it. Although typing it later will be trickier. Because of that, I generally keep this practice limited to outlines or brainstorming.
6. (And my favorite) It feels like drawing! Writing is an art. One that is quickly dying in the scope of practical and super fun computers.
One of the main reasons this little project began was because I often think of how much more difficult it must have been to publish any writing before computers, or word processors, or even type-writers. Would I still be writing if it wasn't so easy to edit? What if a manuscript was returned to me with major improvements required? Would I really have to re-write most of the book by hand and then re-submit?
This blog's namesake was such a writer, fictitious though she may be. She was always described with ink blots on her hand and smudges on her skin. She was easily recognizable as a writer - telltale signs gave her away, even to strangers. For many of us facing the looming wall of NaNo these badges of honor and proof of hours spent in creative toil will be slightly less showy. Disheveled hair, laundry piles getting high, nervous ticks from too much coffee and sudden and quick resurfacing here and there to tell friends and fam that we're still alive - these will have to suffice. Take pride in your messy house and crazy eyes this month. They will be our own inky smudges of acknowledgement to one another of the task we've undertaken. (Unless you're attempting this feat with a pen - then you will have all the original telltale smudges and much of my awe.)
Welcome, November!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Shiny Pennies
I have not yet succeeded in my task (see last post), but neither have I yet failed. I simply got distracted. Shocked? No? Neither am I. Today began full of good intent. I WILL write. In a notebook. Wait, notebook? I don't have one of those. Okay, well, legal pads? Umm....hmm. Printer paper. That's all I've got. I could line it, or attempt to write on sheets with out lines (yikes!). OR, I could stop debating it, run to Walmart and pick up a $1.50 notebook. Done. Good. I can do that.
Hubby: "Hey, while you're there, pick up a pumpkin so we can carve it tonight." Me: "Sure, sounds like fun."
The plan: 1) Go to Walmart, buy notebook, maybe cool pens, and a pumpkin. 2) Drive to beach for wildly inspiring setting to write - in new notebook.
October is a perfect time to buy school supplies like notebooks and pens. They're all on clearance! Hooray! Decision time: which notebook? The cool, slightly more grown up, artsy, college ruled one? Or, the super awesome, wide-ruled, strawberry dipped in chocolate, Lisa Frank one? In the end I decide on the slightly more grown up one, but ONLY because it's sturdier and I don't what to also have to buy a clipboard to write on. Okay, notebook. Check.
Pens: Clearance...four pack...nothing too special, but there IS a purple one. That will do...wait...what is this I see? White-out? I didn't think of white out! Is that cheating? I think it's cheating...*hand slowly reaches towards white out (which is also on clearance)* NO! Don't do it. The point of this project is that I can't edit like I do on the computer. White out is essentially deleting. *Snatches hand back, turns and walks slowly away*
On my way to look for pumpkins in the garden center, I inadvertently find a whole other clearance section with MORE school supplies. Here I find an old-school Transformers notebook for $1. You're welcome, hubby. AND 80's Glam Sharpies!! Are you kidding? They come with a 'super special silver marker'. THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!!! *Almost grabs two...but thinks better of it*
So, what was I doing again? Oh, yeah, time to grab a pumpkin and get to the beach.
Have you ever tried to find pumpkins the day before Halloween? This is not the first time I've been dumb enough to leave it to the last possible second. I feel like all those husbands who go Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve. Walmart has none and I have no time to hunt them down. Oh, well. Hubby will be sad, but he'll live. Starbucks, then beach!
*Starts driving out of Walmart* Hey, look - Home Depot might save the day!? Yep. Those are pumpkins. You might not recognize them, but they are misshapen, odd-looking pumpkins. That's cool, we'll carve something funky and then the shape will just add to the funk. *Grabs two* (They're so cheap!) Actually: *Grabs one and then has strange dad-type (who's there with daughter also getting last minute pumpkins) hand her a second because she can't lift it* Question: Do I check out inside or at the garden center? Crap, these are getting heavy, just decide quickly. Garden center it is. Lovely, kind lady in garden center points out carts to push heavy pumpkins to car. These oh, so helpful carts are next to gorgeous mums, also ridiculously cheap. $2. *Picks up one rusty red mum and places it in cart. Swings back to lovely, kind check-out lady and pays.*
Oh my goodness! How long have I spent at Walmart/Home Depot? How bored are you reading about my distractions? Okay. Starbucks. Beach. Now.
On the way to Starbucks, I realize I probably shouldn't leave flowers/pumpkins in car. It still gets pretty warm in the afternoons.
Defeated for the moment, I get coffee and head home. Unpack flowers. Unpack pumpkins. Carry them upstairs to my apartment. Sit down and sigh. Beach? Maybe after lunch.
Oh no! I left my coffee in the car!
(To be continued...)
Hubby: "Hey, while you're there, pick up a pumpkin so we can carve it tonight." Me: "Sure, sounds like fun."
The plan: 1) Go to Walmart, buy notebook, maybe cool pens, and a pumpkin. 2) Drive to beach for wildly inspiring setting to write - in new notebook.
October is a perfect time to buy school supplies like notebooks and pens. They're all on clearance! Hooray! Decision time: which notebook? The cool, slightly more grown up, artsy, college ruled one? Or, the super awesome, wide-ruled, strawberry dipped in chocolate, Lisa Frank one? In the end I decide on the slightly more grown up one, but ONLY because it's sturdier and I don't what to also have to buy a clipboard to write on. Okay, notebook. Check.
Pens: Clearance...four pack...nothing too special, but there IS a purple one. That will do...wait...what is this I see? White-out? I didn't think of white out! Is that cheating? I think it's cheating...*hand slowly reaches towards white out (which is also on clearance)* NO! Don't do it. The point of this project is that I can't edit like I do on the computer. White out is essentially deleting. *Snatches hand back, turns and walks slowly away*
On my way to look for pumpkins in the garden center, I inadvertently find a whole other clearance section with MORE school supplies. Here I find an old-school Transformers notebook for $1. You're welcome, hubby. AND 80's Glam Sharpies!! Are you kidding? They come with a 'super special silver marker'. THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!!! *Almost grabs two...but thinks better of it*
So, what was I doing again? Oh, yeah, time to grab a pumpkin and get to the beach.
Have you ever tried to find pumpkins the day before Halloween? This is not the first time I've been dumb enough to leave it to the last possible second. I feel like all those husbands who go Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve. Walmart has none and I have no time to hunt them down. Oh, well. Hubby will be sad, but he'll live. Starbucks, then beach!
*Starts driving out of Walmart* Hey, look - Home Depot might save the day!? Yep. Those are pumpkins. You might not recognize them, but they are misshapen, odd-looking pumpkins. That's cool, we'll carve something funky and then the shape will just add to the funk. *Grabs two* (They're so cheap!) Actually: *Grabs one and then has strange dad-type (who's there with daughter also getting last minute pumpkins) hand her a second because she can't lift it* Question: Do I check out inside or at the garden center? Crap, these are getting heavy, just decide quickly. Garden center it is. Lovely, kind lady in garden center points out carts to push heavy pumpkins to car. These oh, so helpful carts are next to gorgeous mums, also ridiculously cheap. $2. *Picks up one rusty red mum and places it in cart. Swings back to lovely, kind check-out lady and pays.*
Oh my goodness! How long have I spent at Walmart/Home Depot? How bored are you reading about my distractions? Okay. Starbucks. Beach. Now.
On the way to Starbucks, I realize I probably shouldn't leave flowers/pumpkins in car. It still gets pretty warm in the afternoons.
Defeated for the moment, I get coffee and head home. Unpack flowers. Unpack pumpkins. Carry them upstairs to my apartment. Sit down and sigh. Beach? Maybe after lunch.
Oh no! I left my coffee in the car!
(To be continued...)
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Writing. Actually writing. Not typing.
Objective: To hand write a short story. Why? Because I think it will change how I do things drastically. It will also, probably, prove that I've lost the ability to spell.
While the history of language is long and fluid (and not the subject of this post), I don't think it's changed as quickly since typing/computers/technology in general have allowed it to morph constantly. Just thinking about how I edit on my laptop: type, type, type...ooo...I don't like that, highlight, delete, type, type...how do you spell?...okay, that's not quite the word I'm looking for...highlight...Shift F7...ah, thesaurus...hmmm...words, words, words...got one, type, type type...and so on and so on. Many times I type with my eyes closed, just so that watching the words appear across the page doesn't distract me from what I want to say next.
In this exercise, the point will be to write with something I can't erase on an object that doesn't self-correct or offer suggestions and just observe what happens. Stay tuned...
While the history of language is long and fluid (and not the subject of this post), I don't think it's changed as quickly since typing/computers/technology in general have allowed it to morph constantly. Just thinking about how I edit on my laptop: type, type, type...ooo...I don't like that, highlight, delete, type, type...how do you spell?...okay, that's not quite the word I'm looking for...highlight...Shift F7...ah, thesaurus...hmmm...words, words, words...got one, type, type type...and so on and so on. Many times I type with my eyes closed, just so that watching the words appear across the page doesn't distract me from what I want to say next.
In this exercise, the point will be to write with something I can't erase on an object that doesn't self-correct or offer suggestions and just observe what happens. Stay tuned...
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Epic Author Live-Blog Battle
I have been doing a lot this week in preparation for NaNoWriMo 2011. Outlines, jumping jacks, and I figured out how to add a picometer to my little blogspot. (Hooray.) But nothing was so inspiring as watching two published authors take on each other in real time. I followed Beth Revis' and Stephanie Perkin's Live-Blog bet last night like my husband follows football.
Perhaps I need to get out of my house a little more...
An explanation: Beth and Stephanie apparently bet that Beth could write 15000 words in one week. Procrastinating like a champ, she had 8400 words to go and 24 hours left. (Can you feel the excitement?) Stephanie decides to do one better and write 15000 in one day. ONE DAY! Gauntlet thrown, challenge accepted.
Read Stephanie Perkin's story here.
Read Beth Revis' story here.
Now, I may have inadvertently tweeted some HBM pictures to Stephanie (for which I heartily apologize...or do I?) and thrown myself into the competition a little too much. (Seeing as how neither of these women know who I am...) However, they wrote a ridiculous number of words in one day and drew in a cheering crowd to boot!
I say NaNo needs some live-blog competitions this year. Anyone with me? I know not everyone responds to competition well, but I sure do. So bring it! Let's pick some days, some crazy word goals and get to it.
NaNoWriMo count down: 12 days to go...
Perhaps I need to get out of my house a little more...
An explanation: Beth and Stephanie apparently bet that Beth could write 15000 words in one week. Procrastinating like a champ, she had 8400 words to go and 24 hours left. (Can you feel the excitement?) Stephanie decides to do one better and write 15000 in one day. ONE DAY! Gauntlet thrown, challenge accepted.
Read Stephanie Perkin's story here.
Read Beth Revis' story here.
Now, I may have inadvertently tweeted some HBM pictures to Stephanie (for which I heartily apologize...or do I?) and thrown myself into the competition a little too much. (Seeing as how neither of these women know who I am...) However, they wrote a ridiculous number of words in one day and drew in a cheering crowd to boot!
I say NaNo needs some live-blog competitions this year. Anyone with me? I know not everyone responds to competition well, but I sure do. So bring it! Let's pick some days, some crazy word goals and get to it.
NaNoWriMo count down: 12 days to go...
Monday, October 17, 2011
Snowstorm
She falls softly at first
Lazily drifting side to side
Destined for some lovely spot
To dwell, to linger, to shimmer
Drawing joy and excitement
Her hope begins to rise
Looks down to the fated spot
For life, for love, for always
Glowing with red emotion
Not peace, but fire she finds
Scorching the beautiful spot
In fear, in rage, in sadness
Steeling herself for the thaw
Her crystalline form will modify
Since she is aimed for this spot
With tears, with tests, with pain
Strong as phoenix she must rise
And vapor to lift high in sky
Reform and find a new spot
For rest, for health, for happiness
Hope was not lost this time
‘Though she is tired and shaken
Slowly she sinks to a lofty spot
To restore, to reclaim, to live
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Pumpkin Pie Pictography
I hate writing first posts of a new blog. Do you explain your bloggish ideas? Do you write something shocking or clever? Well, I have no explanations to give and there is nothing shocking about what I do. Someone will have to tell me if it's clever.
Objective: Pumpkin pie from scratch.
The scariest thing I found about making pumpkin pie from an actual pumpkin is getting the dang thing cut in half to roast it! Be aware of all fingers!
My ten reasons why Pumpkin Pie is better from a pumpkin than from a can:
10. Check out all those seeds! Those don't come in the can.
9. I know every ingredient I put in this pie. No surprises here.
8. Doesn't that just look like fall?
7. Extra pumpkin in my freezer for muffins!
(I was starting to get a little freaked out here:
so very bright orange!)
6. Mmmm. Homemade crust. So simple. So yummy.
(So pretty!)
(I don't know if you can tell or not, but this is the consistency of water...)
(So thin...please set, please set, please set!)
(Major dilemma: How to get pie to oven from counter
with out covering the floor in pumpkin...)
(It involved some yoga moves and jedi mind tricks and
still it spilled. Trust me, you don't want to see those pictures!)
(Holy cow, it worked?!)
5. The consistency is super creamy!
4. It tastes ridiculous! So good.
3. Did I mention the pumpkin seeds? They're so good for you.
2. All that extra moisture kept it from peeling away from the crust.
And my last ditch effort to make you want to try it?!
1. It really is crazy easy!
So there you have it. Plumfield's first project. It was a success (hooray!), but they probably won't all be so simple. "Failure is always an option" - Thank you Mythbusters for teaching life lessons.
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