like my dad always says -

I'm so far behind I think I'm first. The forwarder I go, the behinder I get. Etcetera.

Yay! I'm one quarter done my novel. Booooo, I'm one half done the month. For those of you who read my excerpt at nanowrimo (author name lisalouise), I'll swap it for another bit that falls later in the story.

For those of you who may have wished to comment but were unable to, I've opened the gates and welcome your remarks. I actually didn't realize the gates were shut. It was unintentional blog-snobbery.

And yes, this writing process is both a giant pain in the ass and a tremendous learning experience. I can't stand what I've written but I can think of little other than improving it.

In other news - I've schmoozed myself into writing an article for HOW, to appear in their 'creativity' issue next June. I find this rather exciting.

word count: 11, 453

I know that sounds like a lot, but consider that I need to have 50,000 words by the end of the month (which only has 30 days) and some might argue that they should even make sense. No picnic, dear reader. No, trudging off the to the word mines every day to be engulfed by the soot and sweat of creation is a sacrifice not for the faint of heart.

Also, my novel sucks. I should have taken some kind of course first, or read a book or something. I have 38,547 words left to make it a moving tale or a gripping saga or a tightly woven epic or a literary tour-de-force or a steaming pile of dromedary dung.

Wish me luck.

NaNoOhNo, or "It was a dark and wordy night."

Busiest month of my life. But, as Simon said, we're all frickin' busy. Simon also says 'play longer and faster - only then will you be the master.'

It's in that spirit that I begin writing my first novel - my NaNo m.o., of course, is to start a day late and at least a dollar short. I don't even have an idea. Or a genre. But I have the first 600 of 50,000 words expected of me. Why shouldn't the rest follow?

Good luck, my fellow scribblers. 30 days of uninterrupted bullshitting? That's what I call fun. My brain is full of phrases and images that are the cerebral equivalent of horse-on-a-treadmill stock footage. Kind of interesting, but how on earth to use it? I can't wait to see what you guys come up with.

p.s. The only really important thing about this post is the Simon link. You really have to watch it.