NaXXXWriMo

You guessed it! You have stepped into the pornography mode of WriMos... *snort * or not... Okay, seriously... I just wanted to talk about both WriMos and that was the easiest way to get it across... so sue me...

NaBloWriMo



If you aren't a sidebar cruising kind of reader, it's possible you missed it entirely... I always blog almost every day... I am just sort of an exhibitionist and it is how I swing... but in October I formally COMMITTED to NaBloWriMo—writing a blog post every day in October... and while I have a bizillion weaknesses, one of my strengths is that I ALWAYS follow through. If I say I will... I will. (it doesn't hold QUITE the same strength if I share with YOU a commitment I make to MYSELF, but when I commit to YOU...) so here we have it.. I will blog every day...



I've discovered though, that COMMITTING to blogging every day is, in some ways, making it harder. I apologize if any of my themes seem strained... I don't think it is the alphabetical thing—I think it is the HAVE TO every day thing... I don't TAKE the option not to.. but it is always there... I think it is messing with my creative flow or something... or maybe it is editing—that is equally likely—editing and creativity are mutually exclusive... But there we have it... I am committed to blogging... and committed to editing... and should possibly be committed.

NaNoWriMo



So I talked earlier about WHAT I'd write. It is fairly (but not completely) decided that this round will by the YA mystery Player Down. This was in the top three among all of you, but was really CHOSEN for being the most complete concept. Everything else has stuff to work out, or higher stakes for not getting it just right.



Today though, my interest is in WHY WriMo.



Did you know that in the last 14 months I finished 6 novels? That sounds just a little insane, doesn't it? Do you want know know how many novels I've CLEANED in that time? I've done the 3rd cleaning of CONFLUENCE... the first cleaning of LEGACY and two cleans of the Garden Cozy. NONE of them is 'Clean enough'. In other words last year was a WRITING year and it really needs to be balanced by an EDITING year.





But I am not willing to give up the WriMo. Why?



I could say the ideas keep coming. (They do.)

I could tell you it is important to appease the muse. (Also true)

I could tell you how I love the group energy (BOY HOWDY!)



But the reality of it is the unavoidability of my FOMS. FOMS, for the uninitiated, is my deep seeded Fear of Missing Something. What if something COOL happened and I wasn't participating? I couldn't handle that at all! I HAVE TO BE THERE!!!



Plus the five novel ideas and the knowledge that I could not possibly wait until six months from now to start one...



So if any of YOU are doing it, please join ME in doing it... (no matter WHAT your motivation)





http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/534564

Alphabetical Assembly

So this is a wild hair and a little nutso and all but I thought... since I am blogging every day in October, that maybe I'd do the alphabetic thing that I first saw from arleebird last April. I figure with yesterday's tribute and my guest post, the leftover days are about right for the alphabet, so hey, why not...

Ass Acquisition



While I'd PREFER not to do this, it seems to be the state of things... I can't resist eating... the size of my back side grows... I think we should all hold a moment of silence for the ass ascension that we'd like to occur....



*cough *





Appetite



Not in control, or the ass problem would recede.





And finally AWARDS



Now FINALLY, I have something to say!





I've received two awards this week from fabulous friends, and it is time I pass them along.

So first... from Jan, at Crazy Jane I received the Literacy Builder Award, for which I feel inadequate, but thought I'd go through my blog roll and decide who most promoted READING, so I am awarding the Literacy Builder Award to:



HA!  And I totally forgot the five favorite words part!



NAKED

BENDY

INNUENDO

CACOPHONY

MISATTRIBUTING





Kimberly Loomis at the Perpetual Writer for her dedicated focus on what we READ as well as what we write.



Jane Kennedy, at Jane's Ride for being on top of the reading world and making sure we don't forget what is important



and to...



Jenny at Suspense Your Disbelief for her dedication to the publication process.

And then the Second Award, an original, created by Leigh at That's Right [http://leightmoore.blogspot.com/] for the Strangely Irresistable Award... though I have no idea what she's talking about... but I want to pass it on to the blogs I find strangely irresistable...



Simon, at Constant Revisions because Simon, as the only Man-tart I know, and my clear TWIN in this lifetime seems to have this magnetic draw... like a mirror... with special effects...



Boonsong at Boonie's Thailand Photos for his always interesting windows to Thailand, and his always chuckle-worthy translation of what's in those windows.



And Barb and Deb at The Middle Ages for r their unflinching look at the things in life, good and bad, that make it LIFE...



So there we have Saturday...





Have a great weekend, my friends!

NaBloWriMo

You may have noticed my new sidebar... looks something like:



  this. That is because October is quickly approaching.



And this month, one of my fabulous blogger buddies, Heather (who is NotHannah) is holding down the fort, so to speak. I suffer from something called FOMS (fear of missing something) so OF COURSE I am participating, but I'd like to encourage all of YOU to participate, too!



So what IS NaBloWriMo? (It's not actually naughty, at least not by definition) Simply this. Post a blog every day in October. It is good for discipline (and we all can use a spanking now and again) and a great way to increase your network, as there is a fabulous smorgasborg of participants involved.



I participated last year, as a relatively new blogger, and it was my first growth spurt of people I didn't have prior connections to, so I encourage you, especially if you are newish to blogging, to COMMIT.



How?



1) Go http://nablowrimo.blogspot.com/

2) Pick up the button (which I LOVE, by the way--nice and fally! Fall-ee? Fall like? Autumnesque? Yeah... I'm going with Autumnesque.

3) Email: NotHannah (at) comsouth (dot) net



Easy peasy!



Erm... other than that you then ALSO are supposed to write a blog every day in the month of October, but you can do it... get creative!



Obstacles and Excuses Debunked



But I'm GONE



Last year Mari was traveling a significant portion of the time... she dedicated a weekend before she left and wrote about nine blogs, then scheduled them, one a day, so she didn't have to count on computer access from the road/air/Tart House.





I Don't Have Enough To Say



DO! (This is a good test of persistence and creativity and it's good for you). You are allowed to fall back on sharing pics, funnies, telling family stories... whatever you need. You have PLENTY to say!





I Don't Have the Discipline!



DUH! What do you think it the POINT?! Developing discipline! (Erm, other than the making a lot of cool groovy friends part).





I Have to Make Halloween Costumes!



You mean to tell me you are not subjecting your children to the character building exercise of putting together their OWN darned costume? How on EARTH will they survive college without having obtained this scrappy skill? Not that mean? Go behind a grocery store, get a box the size of your child. Buy some paint and make them into their favorite snack. Two hours, tops (unless the cat gets in the paint, but never mind). Crayons are also popular... dress all in same color. Use black construction paper to make color letters, and a cone head.





But I'm Committed to NaNoWriMo in November



Join the club, my friend! This is good PRACTICE (not nearly the same level of commitment, honestly) and a good way to find buddies also doing NaNoWriMo.



So what are you waiting for?