Mysterious Ages, my fellow ML for NaNoWriMo.org and I spoke at the beginning of the month at VCON. It was awesome, although, according to Myst, I was a bit of a chatterbox. Yeah, well… anyone who knows me could have told him that. VCON was great though. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the rest of the conference after our session was done. I am seriously considering attending next year as a participant.

Today was the last day of SIWC. My head is close to exploding with all the fantastic advice I received at the very well run sessions and keynotes. Despite my overwhelmed little noggin, I was sad to see the weekend close.

One of my highlights was to talk with Daniel Kalla. A few years ago he, in conjunction with The Province Newspaper , ran a Serial Thriller writing contest. Daniel wrote the first chapter of the book and there was a competition to write each subsequent chapter. I participated the 2nd year they did it and I won first runner up for the first chapter open to competition. Unfortunately, this was also the last year it happened. As we spoke over lunch, Daniel said that it wasn’t lack of interest that caused the contest’s demise, it was that there were too many participants to judge.

It gave me a bit of a thrill, knowing that I had been competing against even more people that I’d originally thought. It made that 1st runner up placement that much sweeter.

We’re getting an added boost this year from VCON. We’ve been asked to speak on a panel Saturday, October 1st all about NaNo. We’re very excited about it. NaNo is such a great way to get your first draft done. The camaraderie, community and cheer-leading is incredible. I can’t wait to spread the word.

Then it’s time for SIWC (Surrey International Writers’ Conference). I missed it last year so I’m doubly excited about it this year. We’re renting a room and staying on site which will enable us to stay and play with the other writers until the wee morning hours without having to worry about travel back and forth. It’s going to be a blast.

And then it starts: NaNoWriMo.org 2011

Marc and I are deep in the planning process. We’ll start posting things as soon as details are finalized.

This year, I’m tackling a story that isn’t my usually light, funny fare. I’m not going to lie, it’s going to be hard for me – there will be death, betrayal and abuse (and the family disasters that follow in its wake). Some of it hits very close to home. If it turns out half as well as I have it in my head, it’s going to fantastic in a haunting and thought provoking way. I’m just hoping I can do the idea justice.

(and yes, me, the die hard pantzer – has actually done a bit of plotting for it already. But only because some of the subject matter needs a little research so I can keep my facts straight)

This year’s novel is a different genre for me. While it’s not coming as easily as I hoped, it’s not nearly as hard as I feared.

I’m treading into the waters of dark fantasy. My main character is a young man who is hitting ‘second puberty’ where strange abilities are manifesting. He had no idea that he wasn’t a plain human, or that there was any such classification. Let’s just say he’s had an interesting couple of weeks thus far in the story.

The social side of NaNo is rocking this year, there are so many more events and even more people involved than ever before. I am truly thankful to have these folks in my life.

Good luck to everyone doing NaNo and to those just writiing, or to those who need a little luck today.

Writing has taken over my entire life lately, so you’d think that adding NaNo would make me groan and say “Oh Gosh no, not more WRITING?!” Instead I’m energized and raring to go.

This year I’ve set myself a challenge. I’m writing form a young man’s point of view, in first person and it’s a fantasy. I’m going to delve into the world of mythologies that I haven’t really paid attention to much before.

Will I be crucified by the diehards for mashing canons or will I escape the noose by making my story believable enough to be forgiven.

Today, the ‘Eve Before Kick-Off’ I’m frantically putting the finishing touches on the games, packing the goodie-bags for transport to the venue (via transit no less) and making lists to make sure I don’t forget anything,

In addition, I’m testing out audio editing software and writing a newsletter or three for Fiction Therapy and SNB Consulting. (Why did I want to be an overachiever again?)

So – to test out my audio bit from my to-do list – here’s a little Welcome to NaNo 2010 I created this morning – enjoy.

Not that you’d ever notice. I’m so busy I don’t have time to write, editing (other people’s work for PaperBox Books) website development (for PaperBox Books, Fiction Therapy, SNB Consulting Services and their clients), plus I’ve taken some shifts at the cafe (for fun and inspiration) and then there is the preparation for NaNoWriMo starting in 5 weeks (I’m one of the Municipal Liaisons this year).

Who has time to write?

Procrastination = Writer’s Block

Procrastination also = Editing-My-Own-Stuff Block

By not editing my own stuff, I’m delaying the release of my new novel out to the masses. Shame on me. I have at least 20 hours of heavy editing, then a few more of polishing before I can send it back to my proofreaders.

So today, I solemnly swear to work on nothing else but editing “Hiding in Plain Sight”… oh look my gutters need to be cleaned….

Sure in that time I’ve written another complete first draft of a novel, decided what I want to be when I grow up, and marketed my butt off for both SNB Consulting Services and PaperBox Books, but still … it’s come so fast. (Totally off topic but check out the stats from NaNoWriMo.org – freakin incredible)

Today was the first day I’ve felt in the Holiday Mood. It was cold, that helped. and I’ve spent a wonderful weekend with the best kind of friends ever and I know this is just the beginning. More good times are coming as Christmas approaches.

Time to add in some Christmas tunes to my MP3 player to sing along with on transit, and no, I really don’t care if anyone laughs at me. My voice is out of shape, so instead of giggling at my off-tune-ed-ness, pitch in and help keep me on key.

It’s not looking like much of a vacation for me though, I’ll be working via online while I’m home. I have some editing for PaperBox Books and some stuff to do for SNB Consulting and marketing my butt off even further because two of my books will be on sale before I leave.

YES – two of my novels will be on sale before Christmas – Whee

Purchase Details to follow in the next few days.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m usually the calm one. I’m the perpetual big sister with a shoulder for everyone else to cry on. This month, even though I’ve been laughing and silly, there’s been an undercurrent of emotion I’m not used to dealing with. It’s made life interesting to say the least.

As I’ve mentioned before I was taking a course through Transitions. I highly recommend it to anyone who is at a crossroads in their career (or even their life). It is a roller-coaster. I discovered a lot about myself that I’d effectively hidden or taken for granted over the years. It also validated the path that I’m on and has given me even more connections and resources to use in my journey.

I crossed the 50,000 words finish line on Saturday for NaNoWriMo. During the all day writing marathon at my place and we had a blast. Two of us passed the finish line amidst lots of applause (and huge sugar rushes from all the sweets and other goodies). PaperBox Books supplied pop and pizza to keep us fueled during the day. The last people left just after 10pm. I was so sorry to see them go. My house felt very empty afterward.

Today is the last day and even though I’ve crossed the 50k mark there are still a few thousand words left to my story. We’re word warring with New Zealand, so every word counts. I’ll finish my story and do my part to win.

Then it’s back to the grind:

Reviewing novels to publish at PaperBox Books, creating a proposal for a couple of places to conduct seminars on internet marketing and writing (this really excites me) and creating/updating three website that fell by the wayside during November.

We stole a page from other NaNoWriMo.org cities and held a transit write-in. It was a blast. Some of us got the see the Canada Line for the first time while others ventured further out in the burbs than ever before.

The trek was not without it’s challenges: missed trains and drunk fellow passengers among them. All in all, it went much smoother and was much more fun than even I had expected… and I had high expectations.

Unfortunately, I had myself double booked. I had to leave the gang at Columbia Skytrain Station on their way back into town to get ready for my dinner out with friends. They went on to do double-cross of the Burrard Inlet on the Sea Bus. I’m sad I missed it.

Tonight, I came home to a much cleaner carpet and a feeling of accomplishment. I bought a small carpet cleaner to clean my desperately-needing-a scrub carpets and spent much of the morning on my hands and knees working to get the carpets back to normal in lieu of boosting my word count.

I have tomorrow night off from social engagements and will blast a few extra thousand to get me closer to my goal. Only 9 days left of NaNo 2009. I’m happy to see so many people signing up for the year-round get togethers.

Tomorrow will be Sunday Brunch Writing Prompts through Toasted Cheese, then off to Blenz for a bit to socialize then it’s off to play tag in the park… in the rain, then home for a hot shower and cuddle up in a warm sweater, blankie, fuzzy socks and my word count.

I have two books that we’re planning on getting online for sale at the end of November. I’m getting the final edits back from my editors tomorrow. Somewhere duiring the month of November I have to find time to incorporate the fixes into my manuscript and get it formatted and ready to go on sale.

We’re working with a couple of talented writers who are doing a bunch of short stories around an alternate world to Earth. We’ve read some of the stories and can’t wait to see the rest. They’ll be comin gout way in the next few weeks as well. (almost managed to resist the urge to dance around the room – almost)

I’m half way through editing the novel written by my business partner and fellow managing editor of Paperbox Books Publishing. It’s awesome, I keep losing myself in the story forgetting that I’m supposed to be checking it for errors and inconsistencies. Happily, there aren’t many.

Oh and I’m buildig a couple of websites for my other business, SNB Consulting Services too.

If it’s true that idle hands are the devil’s tools, he doesn’t stand a chance with me

Last night we had a write-in at the library. Over 30 people were there. Many of whom had no idea really what NaNo was. We explained a bit, the got right into a word war. It amazes me how many people wrote even though they weren’t really sure why… and their word counts were good. Some folks who could type properly, had word count that were more than double mine.

Writers seriously are a crazy (in a good way) bunch.

My challenge for the day is not to let my word count suffer while I do chores and some baking. I’m out tonight at a birthday celebration. Tomorrow and Sunday I’m booked solid. I’m going to have to forgo sleep f I want to maintain my average and rise to the challenge a fellow writer friend has put up.

Ack – no more stalling – 1-2-3- GO!!!