Here it is! My first NaNoWriMo

I am so pleased that I managed to do this on my debut attempt. For some the word count target might have been a challenge, for me it was writing it in such a short time. It was fun, it still is since the story isn't quite finished, but seeing this certificate with my name on it, is a big thrill.
I love the last sentence where it says -- eternal bragging rights. I will definitely be bragging about this for some time to come ;-)
November isn't over yet, so I will still be writing, and uploading daily word counts, but life is slowly getting back to normal. How soon the household chores will be back to normal we will have to see.
But for now -- This butterfly is basking in the glow of my achievement.

NaNoWriMo - day 6

Well, for a writing contest pushing a word count of 50,000, I am not doing badly at all. Just reached 13500 words, and going strong. My plot just twisted itself in an unexpected direction, but not necessarily a bad one. Twists and turns in a mystery, could only add spice to the overall story.

Not letting it derail me from the main plot, a little detour might be good for the overall outcome anyway.

On to the next chapter, it is then.

November is Upon me - help!

I attended the launch of the Pretoria area of NaNoWriMo this afternoon and it was great meeting so many new people - in the same semi-sinking, desperately coping situation of trying to get 50 000 words out in thirty days and still remain sane.

My plot outline is done - a murder mystery for a change - and I will post some of it here in my struggle to move towards that looming word count deadline.

Then again, if the struggle to find the murderer becomes too much, I could always commit the deadliest sin in creative writing - get a knight in shining armour to save the day. Yuck! Kill me before I ever stoop to that level.

So here goes my first NaNoWriMo novel - and the great lengths it will travel!

Lunch with Friends

Have you ever had the kind of week where you had the sneaky feeling that this was going to be the quiet before the storm? I am sure you can relate.

You know, the kind  where you aren't quite sure if panicking in advance or proactively seeking to prevent a crisis will be helpful in dealing with impedending disaster?

My solution is simple: have lunch.

Take the afternoon off. Join a good friend or two for a drink and a leisurely lunch. Chat about life, love and everything, and don't worry about it. My experience has shown that worrying never solved anything, and most of the time, the worrying is for nothing. The bomb will explode or it won't.

So here is my thought for today: its the weekend! Relax, enjoy. It is what I am going to do.

October Writing

Bad, bad, bad. Terribly clumsy fingers - my computer is definitely in better shape than I am. The October SUBJECT for the competition is PICTURES.

Creative Writing Competition: October Subject

With all the writing and plotting and other goings on, I completely forgot to post the SUBJECT for the October writing competition.

It is a SUBJECT month and the rules for the subject writing applies, as usual. So here goes - write anything about or with the word SHADOWS and send it to me by 15 January 2012.

So far the competition has generated some enthusiasm, but few submissions. Come on, everyone, dust the cobwebs from the creative thoughts and let the words flow ...

Géra's Gift update

Géra's Gift is on its way to the publisher. My first novel in the series of The Grandmasters is going to see the light very soon. I will post the cover here, with a link to where it can be found online when it is ready.

I am excited to find out what the cover will look like, and can't wait to have actual copies of it in my hands. Let's hope the magic of the written word won't take too long to reach this blog.