Lion and Magic Boy

[Pardon me while I wipe away a wee tear caused by the endless amusement I cause myself with my clever plays on words.]

Ahem.

The other day Matthew took me to a bookstore in Vancouver. Not just any bookstore, and certainly not a big-box Barnes & Noble-type bookstore. This one had spiritual-type books, and only spiritual-type books, but of every description. It was wonderful, and I was certain I would find in it The Book, something that would Change My Life. Not that I was looking for a change, really, but more that it was the sort of bookstore that had that sort of book.

So imagine my surprise to pick up a book on writing. Writing Down the Bones. Yeah, I had heard of it. I didn’t know why I picked it up. I looked at the back. “Writing class…” Hmm. I am a writer already, what do I need this beginner-stuff for?

I started to put the book back on the shelf.

What are you afraid of?

I looked around. There was no one there.

Yes, you. What are you afraid of? What, you can’t learn anything anymore? Do you really think that?

Uh, no.

I kept the book in my hand, looked at it a little more. Maybe there was something in it for me after all. I decided to keep it.

I read some on the airplane coming home. A mix of Zen Buddhaism and writing wisdom. Rather a good fit. I’m sure there is something in it for me, even if nothing else than the lesson that there is always something I can learn.

So it looks like November is a writing month for me.

Several weeks ago I weighed my options. Last year at this time I entered (and won!) National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in order to change my life. I did and it did. I don’t regret it a bit, although it was a bit daunting and exhausted my creative capabilites at the time.

Apparently I like working under pressure.

Last year I also entered (and won!) NaBloPoMo, which by comparison seemed minor, but truly, there is an art to blogging daily. And I weighed those options and decided that in addition to everything else I am doing, posting to Lion and Magic Boy every day would be more than enough.

But then there’s the whole working under pressure thing. I like that.

So when it became clear that my 2.5 year old project wasn’t writing itself in my wee cabin in the way northwest last week and the week before, I thought I may as well ride that current of November creativity and just finish the damn thing under NaNoWriMo. So yeah, bending the rules a bit, but every word I write will be a new one, so close enough, and if I come out in a month with my project completed I will be one happy girl.

So, to recap:

1. 50,000 words (only 1667 a day!) in a new-old project under NaNoWriMo.

2. A post a day. That’s all I have to do. NaBloPoMo.

3. Two! New! Jobs! Soon to be announced.

4. The already close to 50,000 words a month I write as it is in all my various locations.

5. I work extremely well under pressure.