Somehow, though, the idea of trying to fit 50 hours of editing into 31 days (I know, not even an hour & a half a day) sounds daunting.  I’m also very, very bad about focusing and tracking time.  I get much more written if I allow myself distractions than when I try to be “serious” and focus only on the writing. 

I know with editing I should probably be prepared to focus more – I’m sure it would go better.  I just don’t know if that would work for me.

This March will be different.  I am going to do EdMo.  I’m going to make it happen, and I’m going to tidy up my NaNo from 2007.  Probably.  Maybe I’ll go with the current one instead, but I think I’m more fond of that one.  Time will tell.

With luck (by which I mean serious dedication), I’ll find the way that works best for me, and I’ll hopefully finish both the 50 hours and the editing of the novel.

 I’m not sure where I saw mention of it, probably the NaNo forums, but I landed on the site of the 1,000 word a day challenge.  Yikes.  At nearly two-thirds the NaNo goal, that wouldn’t be a good thing for me right now.  Yes, someday, great.

 Now I have a goal in two parts:  the 500 words a day of the challenge, plus working up the bravery to move over to the 1000 words a day challenge.  This will be good for me.  Actually, so far, today’s word count is over 1,000, but being a weekend, raining nearly incessantly, and not being quite yet time for the wedding, I concede this pace may be hard to maintain going forward.

 Someday, though, I will do it… it is not an insurmountable goal.

In the midst of a phase of re-reading a bunch of old favorites, I thought, “Gee, I’d really like to read this one story again.”  The story was the one that I had written for GothNo last October.

The feeling was almost disconcerting … like, wait, that isn’t a real story.  But it is; I have to stop myself from thinking that way just because it is my story.  It is real as real can be, and all mine!  I think I’ll celebrate.

Then the muse started to run with the idea, and I came up with two more, and a very short story, all related: Valentine, Awaited; Valentine, Received; and The Valentine.  Also a haiku for AC’s very short love poem contest, Love, Briefly.

I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day, so I was kind of surprised at the inspiration.  Still, I’d rather write about Valentine’s Day than nothing at all!

Happy Writing!

It was exquisite torture, the desire to continue reading Ray Bradbury’s wonderful essays at constant war with the desire to set down the book and create.

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury contains eleven essays on his life as a writer:  the story of how his works came about, how writing feels.  The last section contains eight poems by Bradbury about writing and creativity.

Ray Bradbury writes these essays as though talking to an old friend, and imparting advice to a protégé at the same time.  Reading Zen in the Art of Writing feels like an intimate conversation, so much of Bradbury himself leaps off the pages.

Interspersed with the story of Bradbury’s life are the stories of the lives of his works, his memories of the births of his writings, and very practical advice and encouragement for any writer as well.

Ray Bradbury gave his characters the reins, hopped the carriage, and went along for the ride, gleefully experiencing whatever they had to share.  This passion, and his appreciation of the adventure, leap off the pages of Zen in the Art of Writing, inviting the reader to see writing the way that he sees it, and encouraging everyone to begin their own adventure with an open heart.

Zen in the Art of Writing clearly shows Bradbury’s love of writing itself.  He reminds readers in each essay not only that he loves it, but that if they, too, might write, they should let their love of writing free. 

Bradbury shares the joy, excitement, and, yes, zest and gusto, of writing, in a brilliant reminder to all writers of the true reasons why we began this, and the very best reasons for continuing.  For love of the words, and most of all, for love of the story, the writing shall go on.

I highly recommend this book both for writers and for Ray Bradbury fans.

Ray Bradbury fans will surely appreciate him sharing so much of himself, and the tales behind their favorite stories.  Writers will find great inspiration in his love of the craft, and with luck remember what first drew them in its direction.

Happy Writing!

This book review was also posted at http://www.associatedcontent.com under the author’s pen name, S. M. Clark. 

This work is © Sandra M. Clark All Rights Reserved. You may not use, replicate, manipulate, redistribute, or modify this work without my express consent.

I read it exuberantly, excitedly, and to the detriment of my writing.  Thus, it was set aside, and now, I have it back.

Besides the fact that every word of this book makes me want to write, I have just discovered this year’s motivation, and a donation tool, all in one.

I have only begun Bradbury’s essay on his time spent writing Fahrenheit 451, so I can’t comment on the essay itself.

What has my attention is the way it was written, on a typewriter in the library of the University of California at Los Angeles that cost him a dime for a half-hour’s use.  When he commented that this cost pushed him to write more quickly, it all clicked.

I wonder what my NaNo novel would cost, at the rate of a dime a half hour?  Would I write more quickly (of course!)?  And how lovely it would be to have that nice donation to make!

The problem with this, unless I can cure it in the next ten months, is that I am patently incapable of sitting and writing, just writing, and I therefore never have any idea of how much acutal time I spend on a project.  I will figure this out, somehow.

Happy Writing!

They defy classification, though I’ve tried until I’ve tired of it, forced into contentment as they assert their own will.  Surely they have made it plain that they will not be sorted into groupings meant to label their souls in anyway.

Their patience with my faulty reasoning impresses me; always I am slower to learn a lesson than I later feel I should have been.

They hold so much inside of them, setting them into a class could only serve to sell each short.

Their magic fills my heart, and it gladdens me to see them.

My bookshelf holds a new place of more prominence in the room, and it was not before it moved there, its shelves triple-stacked in some places, its surfaces crowded fully in all, and it was not until chance brought it there that I had realized where it belonged so perfectly, displaying its charges.

Books are great creatures of deep wisdom and subtle, humble character; they wait like old women sipping tea to impart their knowledge when their charges finally have realized how greatly they need it, finally are prepared to truly appreciate it.

Their complex flavors beg multitudes of tastings, careful pausing and revisiting, once the palate has cleared, to even begin to place the full range of their ingredients.

I need more books.

My first thought about my region’s collective adventure is that we need to raise more money next year than we did this year.  (So far this year we’re at $175 … not bad, but I think we can do better.)

My idea was 50,000 pennies, one for each word of our goal.  If our region can manage to find and save and collect 50,000 pennies, that’s a $500 donation.

Probably next year times will still be tight.  Even so, pennies are always about, and are often unwanted, not to mention unmissed.

So far, I have 268 pennies to donate to our region’s goal of 50,000.  That’s not many, but it is only December 2008!  And only from me!

I think we can do it.

Happy Writing!

Our TGIO party is tomorrow evening.  Suffice to say I feel exactly the opposite.

This year’s novel – unlike last year’s, completely without outline – was a wild ride.  It went in all sorts of directions that I had not expected.  I enjoyed it emensely.

Unfortunately, this year we also lost our ML to the lure of North Carolina.  I can’t blame her; it’s one of the places on my short list if I ever do move.

While I truly don’t dislike Word 2007, I do find it frustrating that I have to re-learn everything I used to know how to do… so my novel sits, unprinted, in a file on my desktop while I try to work out the best printing options.

Next year I will be co-ML (desperately frightening thought, truly), so that will be an adventure all it’s own.

Congrats to everyone who participated!

Happy Writing!

My story is moving along fairly well for not being outlined, but of course I am still at the beginning.

The honey is noveling along again this year.  He has already beat out his final word count from last year, has finished his first-day word count, and has not yet quit!  Go, honey!

I’ve got to get back to writing, though, because I am just under 5,000 words from my real goal for the weekend.

Happy Writing!