Yes. I am quite possibly insane. Lego Kid and I have decided to do NaNoWriMo again.
We are crazy busy, which you know is not something I'm good at or seek out. I'm recovering from yet another surgery (not to mention all the previous cancer treatment). Bit Boy and I are doing the leg work to get him into high school next year. We're preparing for an 8 week sabbatical that starts in just a couple of months. The holidays are approaching. I have another surgery in Nov. And in Dec. Last time
we did this is was not quite what you would call a success. What am I thinking?
I'm thinking I want my life back. If I can't have my previous life, I want another, just as good. And maybe this will be part of it.
We did
have fun with NaNoWriMo, and both of us found that we wrote far more than we would
have otherwise. Also, I've been looking at what I can do with each member of my family as "our own" activity. This last year as my health declined, I've discovered that much of our bonding time was doing physical activities; kayaking, hiking, biking, gardening, swimming, ice skating, etc. (I'm not athletic, but I was active.) I miss that bonding time. I'm not so active anymore. While I hope to be active again at some healthier point in the future, this has pointed out to me how lopsided my relationships were. For the Lego Kid creativity reigns, and making up stories is something he does all the time. Writing is not, but is possibly a good next step in his growth. And goodness knows I could use some extra practice too!
Wish us luck!
Showing posts with label nanowrimo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nanowrimo. Show all posts
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
NaNoWriMo - Fail?
If we go by word count (or lack there of) National Novel Writing Month was a complete bust for me. I was going strong and making my word count for 3 whole days straight. Then the sleep deprivation caught up with me. So I started taking my writing time out of the day time, which means time away from the kids when we were home. That didn't work so well either.
Does that mean NoNoWriMo was a failure? Well, yes. And no. I didn't succeed in making my word count but I learned a lot, on many fronts.
Good stuff:
I learned that I can write like a demon (which is to say a lot, if not necessarily good stuff) but that I need at least 2 unbroken hours to do it, and the first 20 minutes will be spent pencil sharpening.
I learned that I don't need to wait for inspiration to strike to write. I can write just as good (or bad!) stuff when I'm feeling uninspired. I need to remember that, like love, writing is a verb. Sometimes you just need to do it uninspired.
I actually made progress on my story, made a character that had flaws, AND worked up the nerve to mistreat her a little.
I did fall behind in many chores and activities that we usually do. I had that constant nagging feeling that I wasn't doing enough that comes with a deadline and conflicting pressures. I missed the feeling of playfulness I usually have with my kids.
I learned that the choices I made when I first chose to have children, and then to homeschool the children, are still choices I have to make today, and everyday. My time is the most valuable currency I have, and where I spend it indicates where my values are. As the children get older and need me less, I have reallocated some of my time, but most of it is still for them. If I want to write, something else has to give, and I need to decide thoughtfully what that is.
Does that mean NoNoWriMo was a failure? Well, yes. And no. I didn't succeed in making my word count but I learned a lot, on many fronts.
Good stuff:
I learned that I can write like a demon (which is to say a lot, if not necessarily good stuff) but that I need at least 2 unbroken hours to do it, and the first 20 minutes will be spent pencil sharpening.
I learned that I don't need to wait for inspiration to strike to write. I can write just as good (or bad!) stuff when I'm feeling uninspired. I need to remember that, like love, writing is a verb. Sometimes you just need to do it uninspired.
I actually made progress on my story, made a character that had flaws, AND worked up the nerve to mistreat her a little.
I did fall behind in many chores and activities that we usually do. I had that constant nagging feeling that I wasn't doing enough that comes with a deadline and conflicting pressures. I missed the feeling of playfulness I usually have with my kids.
I learned that the choices I made when I first chose to have children, and then to homeschool the children, are still choices I have to make today, and everyday. My time is the most valuable currency I have, and where I spend it indicates where my values are. As the children get older and need me less, I have reallocated some of my time, but most of it is still for them. If I want to write, something else has to give, and I need to decide thoughtfully what that is.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Character
I'm participating in NaNoWriMo. Man, characters can be hard for me. It's hard to build a character in a novel. (Not as hard for me as plot, but that's another post!) Characters need depth, nuance, and color - not easy for a techie type!
It's even harder to build character in a real person. How do you teach integrity? What do you do with a kid who knows how to play the game but doesn't understand - it's so much more than a game? If a kid follows the letter of the law, but finds every loop hole and bend the rules when it's convenient and not observed, how do you respond?
I try to explain to my kids rules are just tiny specifics we come up with for immature minds. Principles are what grown ups try to live by. I posted a question on facebook recently.
(FB, from here on out known as TGTS "The Great Time Suck")
"What house rules do you have that you'd never thought you'd need?" I got some great responses. So, as an exercise, here's the rules and the principles they're based on.
What we said:
"No cleaning the white board with the cat"
"You may not throw the pet rat in the air to see how it lands"
"Don't hit your sister with a burrito"
What we meant:
Be Kind to Others
What we said:
It's even harder to build character in a real person. How do you teach integrity? What do you do with a kid who knows how to play the game but doesn't understand - it's so much more than a game? If a kid follows the letter of the law, but finds every loop hole and bend the rules when it's convenient and not observed, how do you respond?
I try to explain to my kids rules are just tiny specifics we come up with for immature minds. Principles are what grown ups try to live by. I posted a question on facebook recently.
(FB, from here on out known as TGTS "The Great Time Suck")
"What house rules do you have that you'd never thought you'd need?" I got some great responses. So, as an exercise, here's the rules and the principles they're based on.
What we said:
"No cleaning the white board with the cat"
"You may not throw the pet rat in the air to see how it lands"
"Don't hit your sister with a burrito"
What we meant:
Be Kind to Others
What we said:
"Don't lick... " the seat belt, your sister, your brother
"No kids with sledgehammers"
"No spoons in anyone's butt"
"No picking your brother's nose"
"No body slams on the baby"
"Never jump on a person holding a knife"
What we meant:
Be Safe, Stay Healthy
What we said:
"No sillybandz in your food"
"No lunch meat on the soccer ball"
"You may not paint the kitchen cabinets with lime jello"
What we meant:
Don't waste resources
Now obviously there's some over lap. One could argue that it's wasting the burrito to hit your sister with it. Certainly body slamming the baby isn't being kind to that baby. But you get the idea.
Youth and adults have rules too. We have too often ignored speed limits on the roads, ignored marriage vows, plagerized papers, cheating on tests.... Yes, there are rules that are limiting and don't always deserve to be adhered to, but most rules are something that someone saw a legitimate need for. Rules are applied principles.
I want to teach all my kids that we can see a person's character , not just through their rhetoric, but through their behavior, not just the behavior they have when their in the public view, but their private behavior.
Who do you want in your life, a person who follows the rules or a person who adheres to principles?
Who do you want to be?
"No kids with sledgehammers"
"No spoons in anyone's butt"
"No picking your brother's nose"
"No body slams on the baby"
"Never jump on a person holding a knife"
What we meant:
Be Safe, Stay Healthy
What we said:
"No sillybandz in your food"
"No lunch meat on the soccer ball"
"You may not paint the kitchen cabinets with lime jello"
What we meant:
Don't waste resources
Now obviously there's some over lap. One could argue that it's wasting the burrito to hit your sister with it. Certainly body slamming the baby isn't being kind to that baby. But you get the idea.
Youth and adults have rules too. We have too often ignored speed limits on the roads, ignored marriage vows, plagerized papers, cheating on tests.... Yes, there are rules that are limiting and don't always deserve to be adhered to, but most rules are something that someone saw a legitimate need for. Rules are applied principles.
I want to teach all my kids that we can see a person's character , not just through their rhetoric, but through their behavior, not just the behavior they have when their in the public view, but their private behavior.
Who do you want in your life, a person who follows the rules or a person who adheres to principles?
Who do you want to be?
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
NaNoWriMo
IMG! I did it. I signed up for National Novel Writing Month. To be a winner I have to write 50,000 words in 30 days, the month of November. What have I done?
Am I insane? Yes, but this is only a small bit of the evidence.
There is a method to my madness. I've got a couple of kids who love to make and tell stories. I've learned that my kids are far more likely learn something if they do it, far more likely to do something if I do it too.
So, my 9 yo and I have signed up with NaNoWriMo. He's making much better progress than me. Of course he gets to set his own word goal, and adults have to write at least 50,000 words to win. AND I have to keep up with my daily responsibilities like feeding kids, keeping house, running errands, etc, while he gets to play legos and write, so he's got it easier than me. (Do I sound petulant? It's 'cause I am. ) The point is to just write, write so hard and fast that your internal editor just doesn't have time to block you. We're going for volume, and will do quality control later. We can spend the winter practicing our editing skills, but for now we're finding the cure to the perfectionism that keeps us from even trying to write.
Wish us luck!
Am I insane? Yes, but this is only a small bit of the evidence.
There is a method to my madness. I've got a couple of kids who love to make and tell stories. I've learned that my kids are far more likely learn something if they do it, far more likely to do something if I do it too.
So, my 9 yo and I have signed up with NaNoWriMo. He's making much better progress than me. Of course he gets to set his own word goal, and adults have to write at least 50,000 words to win. AND I have to keep up with my daily responsibilities like feeding kids, keeping house, running errands, etc, while he gets to play legos and write, so he's got it easier than me. (Do I sound petulant? It's 'cause I am. ) The point is to just write, write so hard and fast that your internal editor just doesn't have time to block you. We're going for volume, and will do quality control later. We can spend the winter practicing our editing skills, but for now we're finding the cure to the perfectionism that keeps us from even trying to write.
Wish us luck!
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