Hello! It’s been a month! Or a little over a month. Why the radio silence? Because I have been WRITING. There was much uncertainty and I did not think I could do it, but I did! NaNoWriMo I have bested you this year! In one month, I wrote a 50,007 word novel. It is not a very good novel, but it exists. Neil and I did the project together (he worked on his own novel and his idea is brilliant). It was a good feeling, writing fiction every day. I found that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. My biggest fears about writing are that I will sit down and stare at that little blinking cursor with absolutely nothing to say. Sometimes I can’t find the next words, but more often than not I can type out something, even if it’s bad. Especially if it’s bad. If I can keep up that kind of rhythm and pace with my writing, I should be able to accomplish a lot more. I was averaging at least a thousand words a day, sometimes up to two or three thousand on a good day. It gives me hope. Though, I freely admit I am not looking forward to delving into the editing process.
For now, I am going to take a couple weeks off fiction. I’m trying to focus on reading. Over November I finished reading The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling. It was not at all like I expected it to be (I’m not sure what I expected), but it was very good. It’s a completely character driven book. It also takes the most mundane of subjects (small towns and local government) and makes you care very deeply about it, which is admirable to say the least. I highly recommend it.
I also finished Karen Russell’s most recent collection of short stories Vampires in the Lemon Grove. I think my coworker said it best: “She is totally nuts.” What a wacky collection! She definitely has incredibly unique ideas and her writing is wonderful, no doubt. I could take or leave some of the stories in the collection, but most of them were phenomenal. Particularly of note were “Reeling for the Empire,” “The Seagull Army Descends on Strong Beach,” and “Dougbert Shackelton’s Rules for Antarctic Tailgating.” The less you know, the better. Just read it and be pleasantly surprised.
Currently, I am reading Youth in Revolt, which Neil suggested. I am having a bit of a hard time getting into it, but I’m not quite ready to give up. As a general rule, I always finish a book I’ve started. We were think about doing NaNoReadMo – National Novel Reading Month – for December. I think it would be a hell of an exercise.
I am thoroughly enjoying my new freedom, until the shininess wears away and I am again bored by the tedium and go seeking the next project. For now, I will happily continue watching Orange is the New Black.
Until next time!
xx
alittlejstillz 
I for one am proud!