I Smell Like Campfire

Another beautiful day for November.  I'm happy to report that I spent a large part of it sitting by a campfire,  hanging out with my young teenager, just talking about life and enjoying each other's company while Savageman and Little were off doing Cub Scout things.

I hadn't intended to on the Scout hayride this year.  I told everyone I had too much to do at home.  But it was too gorgeous a day to skip it and stay inside writing.  Or assembling more IKEA furniture, for that matter. Glad I made the decision I did, because it was all still here when I got back, with no harm done.

Plus I smell like Campfire, which is never, never a bad thing.

Life is too short to turn down opportunities to stop and smell like Campfire.

Getting my fragrant self caught up this evening.  First, a 2400 word sprint (from which I am taking a break right now with about 1300 words to go).  By then, the prospect of putting some furniture together may seem more appealing, especially since the boys are out getting a movie for us to watch.

I'm procrastinating much less this year when it comes to NaNoWriMo.  I sit down and start writing.  That's it.  It reminds me very much of an archeological dig.  The story is there - all I have to do is use the tools I have - the little chisels and brushes - to bring it out into the open one tiny piece at a time.  It's very satisfying, because I don't know what I'm uncovering next or what other discoveries each new uncovered part will lead to.  I have no idea of what's going to happen; I'm just taking it as it comes and letting my characters decide what they want to do next.  It's a dynamic process.  I hope I'm doing the story justice and using the right tools - and not being too clumsy with them.

Of course, whenever I think something like that, I have to stop to remind myself once again that it's a first draft of a first novel and it's supposed to suck at this stage.  Just so I won't be too disappointed when I finally do go back and read it all. January is the month for editing.  Right now, all I'm supposed to do is get the story down.  And that part is going very well.

On that note... my break is over.  Savageman has just returned with the movie and a Chocolate Orange (Whack and Unwrap!) for me to reward myself with when I hit my 20,000 word mark.  Hopefully in about an hour.

Diving back in...