Kim's Ramblings

  How Not to Win NaNoWriMo It’s the first of November and I’m off like a flash. Well, maybe not a flash. More like a puff. a small puff, barely more than a sigh. But the point is, I’m off. I’m writing a novel for National Novel Writing Month. The fabulous idea that has been buzzing around my head starts to take shape on the screen. After a few days of diligently sitting down every day, I have written myself out of ideas. I back up and jot some notes. I think seriously about where I want this story to go, then write some more. I write a couple of scenes that are really short stories that might be able to stand alone. I edit what I’ve written, which is a no-no in NaNo. I catch myself writing backstory. Is that important or am I just trying to fill up pages? Then, I have a discussion with some fellow writers about some advice we’ve heard over and over and over. Start with action. Hook your reader from the very first paragraph, first sentence if possible. I haven’t done that.

  (I originally wrote this post for THE WRITE WAY, the blog on the White County Creative Writers website. If you're interested in writing, definitely check out that website. I have updated it slightly for this year.) It’s almost November, and that means NaNoWriMo.  For those who don’t know, that’s National Novel Writing Month. If you’ve never heard of it, you’ll probably be surprised to learn that there’s an online community of writers who pledge to complete a novel in only thirty days. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But every year since 1999, thousands have proven that it can be done. The idea started small, but has continued to grow every year. Hundreds of those novels have gone on to be published by traditional publishers, while hundreds more have been self-published. The goal is a complete first draft, a minimum of 50,000 words in thirty days or less. That’s less than 2,000 words per day. Anyone can enter. There’s no entry fee, and it’s simple to participate. • Sign up on the websit

       I have been fortunate to see some exciting things happening in my writing practice. In the past few weeks, I have received my first check for a magazine piece to be published in October, received contributor's copies of an anthology, and seen a true story published in a magazine. I have eagerly shared these successes with family, friends, and fellow writers. I hope my small successes will be encouragement for others to keep digging for their own dreams.        Because it doesn’t happen overnight. The anthology story was submitted a year ago. One of the magazine stories was submitted in January, the other in March. By the way, several other pieces have been submitted since that anthology story last year and received no response at all. It can get discouraging.         But to mix a metaphor, anything worth doing is worth the wait. Never give up; never quit trying to reach that next milestone.         There’s no such thing as overnight success.

If my people, which are called by name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14      We hear this quoted and see it posted on social media frequently, especially during trying times. The current COVID 19 pandemic has many people frightened, and many are turning to this verse for comfort and reassurance.   With constant news updates and opinion pieces available around the clock, the big picture is overwhelming.         And sadly, I see many of the same people who share this and other verses of comfort and reassurance also sharing scathing, hate-filled posts denigrating one side or the other of the political leadership of our nation. And while criticism is warranted, the constant focus on the negative of the big picture keeps us from fulfilling our part of the agreement implied in the verse.       If we truly are his people, ou

The quadrennial February day fell on a Saturday this year, so it really was like having an extra day. And after the rainy, cold, dreary January and February we’ve had, the warm sunny day was an extra blessing.             This morning my eyes popped open to sunlight coming through the bedroom shade. Remembering it was Saturday, I rolled over, intent on staying another half-hour at least. But my brain had already registered sunlight!             My desk was a mess. More than twelve hours later, it still is. My to-do list didn’t get a single check mark today. Oh, but my heart did.             After what felt like months of drizzly, windy, too-cold-to-stick-my-head-outside weather, here was a day just shouting, “Come out and play!” We spent the morning in our neglected yard, raking, pruning, burning. After a few hours we shed the jackets and worked in short sleeves.              While raking, I discovered one tiny purple hyacinth and a brilliant yellow crocus peeking through the

           Do you ever procrastinate? If so, I need to know how you finally kick yourself out of it. If not, you are my hero. And you may want to just skip this post.             You see, I’ve been “supposed to” write a blog post since the first day of this year. It could be anything, a poem, an essay, a short story.  Just words on the page was the only criteria.             First, I got sick with an upper respiratory infection and felt cruddy. I told myself I’d write after I felt better. Then I got really busy at work catching up on the things that I let slide while I was sick. And I tired easily because I wasn’t completely recuperated from the crud yet, so I had to relax and rest when I made it home.             There are always household chores that need to be done, something that needs to be picked up at the store, and some mess made by one of our beloved pets.             But then there are books and articles to be read and social media to get caught up on. And don’t ev