Well, the big question for NANO is...What do I write about? It's all well and good to have an idea, but when you hit 20,000 words and the story is over, you sometimes have to start over. Hopefully this won't happen. As for now, here is my story for this year's NANO...
Every account must have a user name. Oh the curse of the coming up with said information. I try to keep the same one for most places, but for NANO I had to do something special. What would it be? Well, finally, after many attempts and "This user name is already in existence" I came up with....
Alcottgirl
Hopefully, most of my readers are not completely lost by this. I first read Louisa May Alcott's Little Women when I was probably 8 or so years old. (Ok, it was the Great Illustrated Classics edition, but still.) Soon I acquired the non-abridged version, and since then I have read it about 6-8 times. I'm not sure if you realize how big of a book this is. My reading copy is over two inches thick. Reading copy? Well, yes, because since that first introduction to Alcott I've begun collecting antique copies of her works. I have several copies that were printed in the early 1900's. I also have several "reading copies" of the books because I don't want to damage the antique ones.
Little Women is actually not even my favorite of her works, and it saddens me that so few have read her other books. If you haven't quite grasped my interest when it comes to all things Alcott, I wrote a 25 page paper as my senior research project in order to complete the Honor's program in college. Yes, I enjoy Louisa May Alcott. So, the name make sense now, eh?
Something fun about NANOWRIMO, is that they send you an email every week with helpful hints and bits of encouragement. On the website, there are a bunch of discussion forms and other things too.
There's a little thing that several NANO writers insert into their stories, and it's a character called Mr. Ian Woon. There are several other names for this character, and usually, they are fairly minor characters in the plot. What's so significant about Mr. Ian Woon? Well, look at the letters in his name. There's an N,A,N,O,W,R,I,M, and O! Like I said, Mr. Ian Woon comes in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes even in different names, but it's a lot of fun to see him appear in so many different stories.
I mentioned that last year I competed in NANOWRIMO. I completed the competition with over 51,000 words, and then continued to finish my novel with a total of 67, 000 words. Everyone then asks, well, when are you going to have it published? They have no idea what this entails. No publisher accepts manuscripts anymore. You need an agent to get your novel "discovered." However, there are a few things called self-publishing companies. I've done all kinds of research on all of this, and my husband and I are still praying about what to do next. God will have to direct us greatly. However, if He provides us with about 2,000 dollars, I do have what seems like a good opportunity for publication through a place called Cross Books. It's what seems the best option at the time (minus the lack of money.)
This year, my novel seems like it might be a little bit darker than Anca (last year's novel). We shall see how it turns out, but yes, I do have a plot and character already in mind for November. 15 days!
Today is October 15th, and it's almost over. That means that there are 16 days until November 1st. I know, I'm a bright cookie, but there really is a purpose for this countdown. November 1st is the beginning of NANOWRIMO. I get lots of questions about this, and really the best place for information is the website, but essentially, I have chosen to participate in a contest where people try to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. Last year I did the same thing, and completed the task! Hopefully, this year will not be more difficult than last year.
So, what I'm going to attempt, we'll see if it actually works out, is to use this blog as a place to keep you updated. I can use all of the support and encouragement I can get. Be prepared, mayhem will ensue. Sleepless nights, my husband living on frozen food (well, not all of the time), and chaos, lots of chaos. Doesn't it sound exciting?!?!? So, countdown with me, and let's see what November brings.
The scenery was beautiful as we drove along the Ohio River. Tree covered bluffs lined part of the area, while grassy fields covered the rest. Several expensive looking homes were viewed, as well as some plantations.
We passed one older plantation. While we were driving by we looked at it and noticed out back, the old slave quarters. It is not too uncommon to find such places, as many plantations dating back to before the Civil War are still in existence. I, myself, have seen several old plantations including house, fields, barns, slave quarters, outdoor kitchens, and so forth. So, it wasn’t that which got me to thinking.
Before the Civil War, Kentucky was a slave state. As everyone who knows their United States History knows, some states deemed it legal to own slaves, while other states did not. These “Free States” were safe havens for many years if a slave could escape to them. Traffic on the Underground railroad was especially heavy in those border states, ones that touched the Free States. As I reviewed my history lessons in my mind, I realized that, while Kentucky was a Slave State, Indiana was a Free State.
When I looked to my left, I could see a place where the slaves were kept, but when I turned my head to the right, I saw Indiana. Whoever lived in that slave dwelling was able to step out of their door every morning and see freedom right in front of them.
I don’t know the actual story of the person or persons who lived in that small building, but I did begin to wonder. What did they think, living their lives as slaves, seeing freedom right in front of them every day? Did they try to reach freedom? Were they content with being where they were? Was it agonizing for them to be so close, but not there?
Even now, we are faced with the exact same situation. Humans are slaves, Jesus says this in John chapter 8, “...everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” Romans 3:23 reminds us that “All have sinned...” So, everyone is a slave. Thankfully, there is freedom from this slavery, and it’s right before our eyes. Jesus said that, “The truth will set you free.” What is this truth? It’s the truth that Jesus’ blood covers our sin, and He extends His grace to us, to offer us freedom from sin.
Yet, there is a problem. So many people are living as slaves in a cramped area. Freedom is right in front of their eyes. Some people see it, wishing that they could get there, but never believing that it is possible, even though a way has already been made. Others try to reach that freedom, but they do it on their own. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father, except by Me.” We can’t reach freedom on our own. Even worse is the fact that many people convince themselves that they are content with where they are. They don’t realize the beauty of freedom. Instead, they settle for enslavement, when the joys of freedom are right before them.
Freedom is right in front of you. Don’t let it just fill your eyes, be free.
Ok, so it's been a while since I wrote, I know. That's ok, because I've actually written, just not here. Goodness, I've been writing and writing like crazy it seems, and there's even more to be done. The good news is....I finished my novel!!! Finally, after starting it in November, I finished! I can't remember the exact amount now, but I think that there were around 67,000 words or so. Whew...I'm glad that's done, because November is fast approaching. Many have asked if I will NANOWRIMO again, and the answer is, "Yes!" I have so much to write, and I work better with deadlines.
So, what else is going through my mind today? Well, I keep thinking about Kanye West. Yes, he was stupid, but I think people are being a little harsh about it. I mean, hundreds of people do much meaner things every day, and they don't get bashed like that. What do you think? Are people being too harsh?
