Out of My Gourd

For some people, Fall means cool, crisp weather. For others, it means pumpkin-flavored everything. Since I'm still running my air conditioner, and I'd rather carve a pumpkin than eat it, nothing says Fall to me like National Novel Writing Month.

This time around, I'm a NaNo Rebel. I will write 50,000 words of fresh fiction, but it will not be a novel. At least, I don't think so. I have Plan A and Plan B, which means I'll probably end up with Plan W, but I'm okay with that.

See, somewhere along the line, my writing stopped being fun. This happened for more reasons than I can count or even define. And I really, really miss that energy, that joy. Then I came across this quote by R. L. Stine:

"The writers who go into a school, do an assembly and say to write from the heart, write your passion, write what you know . . . the kids who listen to them will never write a word . . . I've written 350 books, and not one has come from my heart, not a single one. It's true! They're all written to entertain people, for people to enjoy and have fun. But you don't have to write from the heart."

So, this November, I will have fun with my writing again! And if I have to take down every pumpkin in the vicinity to do it, I will! (Drama! Suspense! A Possible Serial Killer of Pumpkins!) I have no idea what will happen, but since the month will go by anyway, why not have something creative - brilliant? stinky? both? - to show at the end of it?

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Are you NaNo-ing this November? Excited about your current project? Still having fun with your writing? Are you pro-pumpkin?

How the Magic Happens

I'm in the mood for some fun and Sarah McCoy's post - Magic Cloaks, Lucky Charms, and Other Writerly Superstitious Habits - over at Writer Unboxed provides that and then some. The following just totally cracked me up: 

"....it got me thinking about the superstitious patterns of our writer tribe. Some we admit. Many we keep secret. But Writer Unboxed is a safe space of honesty and acceptance, so I’ll crack open my nut first... I wear a cape when I write. Technically, it’s a red tartan robe that my mother gave me. My husband refers to it as the “get-off-my-lawn” old man robe." 

Ms. McCoy continues talking about other superstitions of our tribe. Here are some examples from her post - 

"Isabelle Allende begins all her novels on the same day: January 8th...While A.J. Jacobs walks on a treadmill and Dan Brown hangs upside down to cure his writer’s block. Poet Edith Sitwell gets inside a coffin to focus her mind...." 

She also asked about superstitions in a forum of contemporary writers -

"M.J. Rose: I have to play Gregorian chants when I write each draft of the book. I have to buy one [lucky charm] for each book. 18 books – 18 lucky charms.  I have to sleep with the ARC under my pillow one night.

Elizabeth Bell: I like to burn a scented candle appropriate to the scene I’m writing. On a beach? Ocean-scented candle. In a rose garden? Rose-scented candle, etc.  I also like to wear something my characters are wearing, such as a Victorian-style chemise or a saint’s medal."

It got me thinking about my own writing rituals. At first I didn't think I had any, but then I realized they're so ingrained I don't notice them anymore. Like, I always write in my office. I'll daydream, brainstorm, jot notes, etc. other places but actual writing? My office, my desk, my laptop. I also have a certain mug and spoon - both gifts from my husband - that I use for my morning coffee. Etched into the spoon are the words "What will you create today?" Answering that question usually keeps me focused and on a good track for the day. And isn't that what good rituals and superstitions do?

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How about you all? Any writing superstitions you want to share? Do you wear bunny slippers? Dance around to a special song? Eat a certain number of Cheerios or peanut M&Ms? Pet a tortoise or two? Do you plan on starting your own writing ritual?

Introverts Unite! *

* But, don't worry, we only have to unite in spirit. We don't actually have to go outside or talk to people or anything. 

I am an introvert. My husband not only accepts this but also celebrates it. He wants me to appreciate myself and all my eccentricities the way he does. Because, for a long time, I thought there was something wrong with me and the way I moved in this world. So, when my husband recently presented me with Introvert Doodles by Maureen "Marzi" Wilson, it was with the best of intentions and a heart full of love. 

Here are a few favorites from her book:

I don't know Marzi, and the only thing I get from promoting her here is the knowledge that by sharing her work, we'll all get a laugh or two, along with the realization that we're not the only ones curled up in yoga pants, binge-watching Big Little Lies and eating chocolate chip cookies. Right? Right? Oh, come on, I can't be the only one . . . .

Available on Amazon

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Are you an introvert? Do you know one? Married to one? Did these cartoons make you chuckle and nod your head in recognition? Plan on checking out Marzi's website and book?  

The Horror! The Horror!

The Plan: Buy this book - Frightlopedia: An Encyclopedia of Everything Scary, Creepy, and Spine-Chilling, from Arachnids to Zombies by Julie Winterbottom - for my nephew and niece for Halloween. They love to read, and they're pretty okay with scary things. Besides, each section in the book has a Fright Meter to gauge the scare-factor. 

What Actually Happened: Aunt Madeline decided she did not want to be responsible for terrifying her nephew and niece. (Adults, on the other hand, are fair game.) So, at great sacrifice to her own sanity, she read it instead and promptly freaked herself out.   

(To be fair, the kids might've been fine with it. It's just you never know what will trigger a nightmare, a fear, a phobia, especially when you're young. Take it from someone who was scared so badly by an innocent Popeye cartoon that she had bad dreams for a week.) 

All that being said, I really did enjoy the book. It's creepy, with photos that haunt me still, but it's also entertaining and informative. 

Did you know . . . about the waste water treatment center where scientists found 107 million spiders had woven a four acre web - the size of four soccer fields! - inside the building? 

Did you know . . . that claustrophobia is the fear of enclosed spaces, but cleithrophobia is the fear of being trapped? Check out these two real-life situations:

- A man got stuck in an elevator for two full days with nothing to eat but Rolaids.

- A woman got stuck in her bathroom for 20 days. She banged on the pipes, but neighbors thought the noise was construction. She lived on nothing but water.

And finally, a place I will NOT be going to on my next vacation:

Gomantong Caves is on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It houses two million bats. The cave floors are ten feet deep in guano, but you can't see any it because of all the cockroaches. Yep, a giant mass of cockroaches feasts on all that poop, along with the occasional bat that falls from the ceiling. And you can watch it all from the wooden walkway that will supposedly keep you safe from all but the errant cockroach and the three-inch-long centipedes that crawl along the handrail. 

Yeah, my sister should sooooo thank me for not sending this book.

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So, what scared you as a kid? What scares you now? Plan on taking a trip to those caves? If so, please don't bring me back a souvenir . . . . 

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(I talked about this book purely because I enjoyed it. I didn't receive any compensation, etc.)

It's Been a Long Week . . .

I don't know about you all, but this past week has felt six months long. I could use a good laugh, and few things make me laugh as much as those Minions from the Despicable Me movies. 

So, here they are, in the trailer for their very own Minion movie, coming July 2015!

Oh, those Minions! Have a good weekend, everyone!

In the Spirit of Sharing

When I feel down in the dumps, I usually wallow a bit then try to pick myself back up by reading or watching fun or positive things. So, in the spirit of sharing - the good stuff, not my moodiness - here are a few things that brought me a little further out of my funk.

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If I wasn't already a crazy fan-girl of Joshilyn Jackson's, this post would start me on the path. Every time I read it, I want to fist pump the air and holler, YES!

An Open Letter to the Fat Girl I Saw at Hot Yoga in New York City.

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These two videos just make me smile - for different reasons. I came across them through the DailyGood.org site.  They're only a few minutes each so if you need a smile today, check them out. Enjoy!

Motivational Monday Quote

EVERY CHILD IS AN ARTIST.

THE PROBLEM IS HOW TO REMAIN AN

ARTIST ONCE HE GROWS UP.

(Pablo Picasso)

I don't know about you all but sometimes I forget to play, to have fun.  I was reminded of this when I was playing Play-Doh with my 3 1/2 year old nephew.  I was using this contraption that could make the Play-Doh ooze out in different designs (stars, squares, etc.) but my nephew only wanted me to use the setting that made it come out like a thick strand of spaghetti.  Why?  Because we were making worms.  Lots and lots of worms.  Hours worth of worms.  I made the worms, then my nephew put them into a giant worm pile.  The thing was, the worms all went in the pile head first because, apparently, they were scaredy worms.  What were they afraid of?  Me!  According to my nephew they were afraid of me because they thought I was going to smoosh them.  (They were right to be afraid.  I was going to have to smoosh them because we were running our of Play-Doh and how was I supposed to make more worms....)

I can't speak for the worms, but I had a lot of fun that day.  So much so, I might have to ask for some Play-Doh for Christmas this year.