Monday, October 20, 2008

I Am Writer, Read My Roar!

Well, I did it! I signed up for NaNoWriMo, and I don't know whether to be fired up or puke from anxiety. I'm totally excited about it, though. I know it will be the best thing for me in order to get "back in the saddle again" after nearly two years of toying with the idea of novel writing once more. I have really missed my previous writing disciplines and schedules. And, my life has changed quite a bit since I've completed my last manuscript. However, there is always opportunity to do what you want to do, if you really want to do it bad enough. So, I guess I'm gonna be writing like a crazed person on a deadline again because, I am. And, I hope that whatever comes of it, I will be more the writer that I knew I could be.

Many of my "Blue-Boarder" friends are signed up. So, it's nice to know that I'm in such good company. It's important to encourage anyone that you know who may be participating in this thing, as it can be quite daunting, at best. If you are one, let me know and we can encourage one another and "buddy-up."

I had the most remarkable thing happen to me the other day. Well, it didn't necessarily "happen" nor was it to "me," per se. But, it was special non-the-less. My youngest daughter, who is ten, began to write her first novel. Seriously! And, it's pretty darn good, too. Seriously! And, I'm not just saying this because I'm her mother. I was really shocked at the depth of her main character and her hook was amazing for such a young person. I'm so happy for her, and must say that I'm more than a bit proud as well. The most surprising thing about it all was that it happened naturally, without any prompting from "mom." She came up with everything on her own, and decided that this was something she wanted to really do, on her own.

She said that she loved to watch me write and always felt like it was something she'd like to do. Wow! I never saw it coming, honestly. But, I'm happy that it did. So, I guess that my temper tantrums followed by brief moments of insanity, whimpering at the sight of "e-jections," yelling at the computer, banging my head on the keyboard, and stalking the mail person like a mad-woman hasn't traumatized her too much.

Phew...that's good to know.

XOXO CJ

6 comments:

C.R. Evers said...

Hey! Congrats on the decision to do Nano! This is my first year attempt at it. I've been doing some planning and I'm getting excited about how the planning is going! I hope the writing part is just as fun.

That is so sweet about your daughter. My 6 year old is starting to write little books and I can't wait to see how she progresses. Maybe she'll start a novel when she's 10 too! :0)

See you around the boards!

Christy
http://ChristysCreativeSpace.blogspot.com

Jacqui said...

That is very cool about your daughter. My six year-old was apparently at Writing Workshop at school this week and when asked what she was going to work on, moaned, "Oh, I have to finish my novel."

Good luck with NaNo!
Jacqui (SproutQ)

Kelly Polark said...

How wonderful for your daughter to aspire to be like her mom!
Good luck doing Nano, you are jumping right back into writing, which is wonderful!

Angela Ackerman said...

How awesome is that?? (Nano is great, but your kid picking up the pen--wow!!)

It kills me--both my kids have little love for reading and zero for writing. I don't push them one way or the other, but a writer having kids who aren't into reading makes me sad. I keep hoping they'll hit on a book that will change how they think about books, because I feel like they're missing out on so much.

C.J. Raymer said...

Thanks, everyone! I'm honestly stoked about NaNo... just a wee bit nauseated. I guess I don't want to disappoint myself, you know? But, that's why we are in this stuff together, right? To encourage.

Yeah, I'm pretty excited about my daughter's new found since of "identity" as a "novelist." Tee! Hee! She totally trips me out. So stinkin' cute! (The hard part will come when she asks me to help with revisions. Any takers on that score?)

XOXO CJ

sruble said...

Yay for NaNo! I'm there too; we can cheer each other on. I like that there's a ticker and a cheering section on the Blue Boards this year. It makes it easier to keep track of everything w/o taking too much time away from the insanity that is trying to write a 50k novel in 30 days.

Super cool about your daughter writing her first novel!
Stephanie

Must Reads

  • "A Long Fatal Love Chase" by Louisa May Alcott
  • "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell
  • "I Capture the Castle" by Dodie Smith
  • "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo
  • "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier
  • "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing" by M.T. Anderson
  • "The Grace Awakening" by Charles Swindoll