Jonah and Heinrich in the Piker Press!

For those of you familiar with the saga of Heinrich the Beetle, and those who would like some background, I was encouraged by Sand Pilarski to write a sonnet about it. Of course, when I tried a sonnet, it was nearly impossible to write about something so whimsical as a boy and his pet bug in such a stilted format. So I just started rhyming, and out came the voice of Dr. Seuss.

OK, I will be the very first to point out many errors in rhyme and rhythm - but I still love the poem, and I hope to get my wonderful sister to illustrate it to make it into a children's book.

Stand by for more on that...

Enjoy!

Jonah and Heinrich

NaNoWriMo Progress Report

There has been little progress.

Although I still like my story, life has not allowed much time to sit down and work on it. And since I am not allowing myself to be pressured by the deadline and wordcount this year, I am feeling no pressure to work on it.

That is good and bad. Good that I don't hate the story yet, bad that it is still at about 5,000 words and has been since last week.

Oh well. I did make good progress on a Mes de los Muertos story today.

As long as I am writing, that is what is important, right?

This has been your NaNoWriMo progress report.

NaNoWriMo Progress Report

There has been progress.

This has been your NaNoWriMo Progress Report.

OK - I did it. You happy now?

I started a novel. Remember The Education of Fred? Well, I am taking a run at that story this year. Here is the opening paragraph:

Fred was convinced that he was smarter than he was. Or at least smarter than everyone else thought he was. He was functionally illiterate, at least that was what they whispered about him behind his back. As if being functionally illiterate also meant deaf and dumb. Not that kind of dumb either. People talked to him like he was a child, explaining simple concepts that had nothing to do with letters or books.


So check back often to see how it turns out. OK?


Happy Noveling!


(1634, but who's counting?)

NaNoWriMo day one... not so much.

For the first time since 2005, I did not stay up till midnight on Halloween to start writing. I have a vague idea of a novel, even a partial outline, but no enthusiasm for completing the story. What I have is a question - do I even enjoy writing that much anymore?

It has been months since I submitted anything to the Press. It has been even longer since I wrote something new. (My last submissions were simply gleaned from old stuff I had sitting around.) I have worked separately on two different stories. Both of them stumbled and fell down and I have not yet found the motivation to go pick them up and dust them off.

Am I whining? Yep. Sho nuff. I just thought I would explore my reasons for not caring much about NaNoWriMo this year.

Exploration done. I will write. I will make the effort. Just don't expect me to enjoy it.

Humpf...