Writers! NaNo-ers! Rebels!

        I went to the St. Louis Writer's Guild workshop yesterday. Donna Volkenannt and Linda O'Connell spoke about how writing about our lives is a smart way to go. (This is such a lame description of what they talked about, but I cannot spend too much time on laying out the highlights because...it's NaNoWriMo!)  Linda and Donna are both award-winning writers and have been published in many different collections. Their talk was inspiring and funny and spot-on.

          Then two writers spoke about NaNoWriMo. Several people I spoke to are crazy brave enough to do NaNo this year. Kim is working on a intriguing novel that revolves around an earthquake...and what happens next. (Do I have it right?) Donna Volkenannt is working on...well, she's keeping it a secret, I guess, or she said and I was in a menopausal moment. Linda O'Connell's working on--her 142 soon-to-be-published Chicken Soup story, so no NaNo for Nicole's Nana.
Lynn is doing NaNo, so I have someone I can wallow in misery with cheer on in my critique group.

       I'm a NaNo rebel this year. Last year I made it to the 50,000 word finish line, but now have 50,000 words which means it's only part of a novel (and a hot mess of a story it is, indeed). This year, I'm trying to add 50,000 more words to my 2012 project. However, I'm already behind, so we'll see...

      The suggestion came up to avoid all contractions while doing NaNo (I figured that out last year on my own) and reward yourself with chocolate after meeting small goals.

       Chocolate is always a good incentive... If you're doing straight NaNo or if you're a NaNo rebel like me, have a great month...
 

The Kind of Sugar That's Calorie-Free

 

 

 

 

Lynn Obermoeller got this award, and then passed on the award to some of her blogging friends, which ended up being all of my blogging friends, so I'm going to have to find some strangers on the street to give this award to.  (Thank you, Lynn.)

 

The Rules:

• Thank the Super Sweet Blogger that nominated you.
• Answer five Super Sweet questions.
• Include the Super Sweet Blogging award image in your blog post.
• Nominate a baker’s dozen (13) other bloggers.
• Notify your nominees on their blog.

The 5 Super Sweet Questions:

1. Cookies or Cake? – Cake, with lots of frosting. 
2. Chocolate or Vanilla? – You mean there's another flavor besides chocolate? Are you sure?
3. Favorite Sweet Treat? – I have many favorites. Fudge. Chocolate nut heaps (a family recipe cookie). Ted Drewes' hot fudge macadamia sundae. I could go on and on and on... 
4. When do you crave sweet things the most? – I am an equal opportunity addict. I eat to celebrate, I eat to wallow. I eat when I'm bored, I eat when I'm stressed. It's always dessert time somewhere in the world...
5. Sweet Nick Name? – Suzy-Q, which coincidentally is the name of a chocolate, cream-filled snack cake...

    Okay, I can count, but I couldn't stand on the street corner any longer in order to get 13 names of bloggers. The police kept circling around, thinking I was hooking for dry-erase markers, so I am a little shy of a "baker's dozen," but here goes:

 

Kim

Shay

Pat

Katie Gates

Cathy C. Hall

Jennifer Brown Banks

Lisa Ricard Claro

Mary

Janel
Pat Wahler
Kathy and Her Kampground


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen to These Writers...And Happy Mother's Day

       I went to see the St. Louis show for Listen to Your Mother yesterday. Even though I had submitted a story and had not been chosen, two of my writing friends had been chosen. And since Lynn and I were the only WWWPs (Wild Women Wielding Pens) who were in town, we had to represent our critique group.

      'Cause that's what writers do. We support each other...

      One woman--a young mother--came on stage gorgeous and looking quite "normal." However, she shared her story of having a mother who was anything but normal. Her mom spent her time--instead of with her family--in a bar. This writer (she was like 9 or 12--some too-young-for-this-ugliness age) would take two buses to go to the bar and try her convince her mother to get her a@@ off the barstool and come home.

      She now has several sons, a husband, and worries constantly since she was never taught how to be mother...how can she be a loving mother to her boys? The answer: she tells them every day, many times a day, "I love you." (Lynn and I sat next to these boys. They are well loved.)

      Linda O'Connell shared a story she had never shared with her critique group. Lynn and I had the pleasure of hearing it for the first time, like the rest of the audience.

     Kim Lenhoff--despite claiming she was nervous--got in front of the auditorium and told about raising an autistic, bi-polar son. Because she has the courage, perhaps others will...She was afraid her knees would knock in nervousness, and I told her I was looking forward to them knocking so much, she would start a fire. What a way to add excitement. Sadly, Kim + no sign of fear = no inferno.

      Another writer--made us all sob. She suffered through many miscarriages, and when she finally was able to give birth to twins, it was because her Japanese-born (late) mother had helped her "catchee baby."

      Happy Mother's Day. For those who are fortunate enough to still have their mother with them, call or hug them. For those who are lucky enough to have children and grandchildren, enjoy the day. When the Listen to Your Mother writers took a bow at the end of the show, I took a picture with my phone. Because of their movement and my photographic skills, they're a blur of motion.  But it makes me think...My story blurs into your story which blurs into her story, which blurs into his story. We all have heartbreak and joy in our lives. 

      We all have a story to tell...