National Novel Writing Month. I’m in. I think. Maybe.

I like projects. I like deadlines, and  I like being busy.

I get it that this might not be normal.

November is National Novel Writing Month. I’ve always wanted to enter, but the timing wasn’t right. I also didn’t have any ideas.

But the slow cooker book is done, and while I need to keep up with some publicity obligations, and answer email, I’m technically finished with all the heavy work. And the baby is coming at the end of December, early January, which means next year probably isn’t going to happen.

I’ve been playing around with a tentative plot idea for the past six months. I’ve even bought note cards and started jotting down character traits.

I have no experience whatsoever in writing fiction, and have never attempted to write dialogue, which means that whatever I turn out will be a terribly rough roughdraft. But I think that’s okay.

So maybe I should do it?

The guidelines for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) are super simple—write everyday, and finish a rough draft of 50,ooo words by November 30.

50 thousand words isn’t that many. In fact, most of the books you read are probably double that. 50k works out to 1500 words a day, which is only about 4 pages in a word processing document.

My biggest concern is getting sick. Usually when I embark upon a project, I go gung-ho and put the project first. I will get up at 3 or 4am to complete a writing assignment, or to get the majority of my work done before the kids get up in the morning. I seem to be able to focus the best at this super early time—it’s just me and the coffee maker. I tend to jump feet first into my current project, and forget to eat, get dressed, or even take the time to go to the bathroom when I’m on a roll. As soon as I meet my deadline, I crash. I end up with a bad cold, and have to take a few weeks to recover.

This is of course not a possibility right now. I’m 7 months pregnant, and my health and the health of my family needs to come first and foremost. I’m totally freaked out by this flu season, which means I’ve been ingesting tons of good-for-you foods, and taking lots of Vitamin C and Airborne. I also seem to need 10 hours of sleep to feel well-rested.

So if I do it,  I’ll just find a way to squeeze in the 1500 words a day during the day, so I don’t tax my system too much.

this makes sense.

When I look back at all that I accomplished last year, I’m amazed I didn’t have a nervous breakdown. I worked 2 freelance jobs that each required 20 hours a week, did the slow cooking challenge, finished the Totally Together manuscript, and still found a way to do all the mommying, PTAing, girlscouting, and sports stuff.  I also trained for and completed a half-marathon. I must have had a LOT of caffeine. I do know I didn’t sleep much.

Then I start to wonder why I even want to do this novel thing in the first place. I’m not expecting anything to come from it, other than the satisfaction of knowing I’ve accomplished this goal. Sort of like when I ran the half-marathon. I had no goals other than to complete the darn thing, and so I did. It was definitely exhillerating, and I’m glad I did it, but the only thing to benefit was my ego. Which I’m not sure is really a benefit.

I certainly don’t want to give the impression that I’m unhappy, because that couldn’t be further from the truth. I love my life and the way things are going—-I just like to have a project underway. And yes, growing a new life is definitely a project—a big one, and not something I take lightly.

So there you go. I’m in a quandry.

I’ve been tinkering with this website, which gives a rough outline on how to write a novel in 100 Days or Less, and I like the way it’s set up.

I think I can do it.

I think.

How about you? Are you in?

Canceled

Oh I so don’t want to write this post.

The publisher I was working with on the Totally Together book has decided to pull the plug.

I hate it that this happened—-I hate it that I have spent a good 8 years thinking about this project to have it crumble apart in one email, I hate it that I got so excited, and I hate it that I talked people, REAL people, into pre-ordering.

I’m so sorry.

Although I’m still sort of kind of sad, I’m not in the sit-on-the-couch-and-wallow stage anymore. Good things are happening: the slow cooker book is practically here, there’s a new baby on the way, the birds are tweeting, the sun is shining, and I firmly believe when a door closes, another one opens.

If you have pre-ordered this book, thank you. Thank you so much for your support, kindness, and wonderfulness. Amazon will not charge your credit card with anything—the order will just sort of disappear.

I am working with an agent who is currently shopping the manuscript to other publishers. I whole-heartedly believe in this project, and feel that it will come to life at some point. If I’m unable to go through a traditional way of publishing, I’ll self-publish, and offer an E-book.

In the meantime, since I’m no longer hoarding material, I’ll get to work on posting more household hints, tips, and cleaning shortcuts. I really should start fresh around here, too. I’ve been so sick with this pregnancy, the house could definitely use some attention.

Thank you again.

xoxo steph

Patience is a Virtue

A hundred million years ago I ran preschool centers, and one of those centers was for homeless children at a live-in shelter. I was young at the time, but was fully cognitive of the impact daily interaction with a positive adult could have on the children in my care. During one of the circle time sessions I led, I passed around a very large abalone shell for the kids to look at and hold. The child farthest from the starting point wiggled and whined that he wanted his turn next. I remember holding out a finger and firmly saying “patience.” When questioned what the word meant, I simply responded “it’s a virtue.”

Throughout the rest of the time that this particular grouping of children was in my care, I often spoke out  “PATIENCE!” when the class was disruptive and the children chanted back, “IT’S A VIRTUE!” The kids had no idea what the words meant, but the act of repeating them in chorus was enough to break the train of activity and I could maneuver the class back on task.

I’ve tried to teach my own children this phrase, but I learned super-quick that it’s much easier to teach other people’s children than it is to teach your own.

My first book, Totally Together: Simplify Your Busy Household, Day by Day, will not be my first book. It looks like the Slow Cooking book will actually be released first.  The publisher has decided to hold on to it a bit longer to redesign some things, and position it better for sale. I don’t know when it will actually come out, but it looks like it probably won’t be until March of 2010. I am terribly sorry that this has happened, and am dreadfully sorry for those of you who have already ordered the book. I assume Amazon will be in touch.

Thank you for your love, support, and patience. It means so very much. xoxo steph

Book Update

Good morning!

I woke up last week to an email from my publisher at Running Press. She outlined some changes they are working on with the Totally Together book.

The big one is that it is no longer going to be marketed as a journal/planner, but as a book. And the title has changed.

This is a good thing.

When I proposed the book, I pitched it as a daily/weekly interactive planner for moms. Since I pitched it as a planner, it was developed as one.

But.

A planner is housed in the stationary part of a bookstore with the calendars, and not with the housekeeping books. And while I imagine the book to be used as a daily/weekly planner, it has an awful lot of information packed in—-it’s not a blank planner/journal/notebook the way the others are that live in the stationary and calendar section.

So the title changed. My book is now called: Totally Together: Simplify Your Busy Household Day by Day.

and the cover will change. As soon as I get a PDF of the confirmed cover, I’ll post it.

The timeline has changed, too. Amazon sent out emails last night to everyone who has pre-ordered with a new shipping date: May 28.

Thank you so much for your patience and understanding—–

it’s taken 7 1/2 years for this book to come to be, and in the big scheme of things, what’s another few months?

since the cover is changing a bit, this site will change a bit, too (probably just graphically). I need to get in touch with Jennette. The URL will stay totallytogetherjournal, because I bought it already. And I’m cheap.

I’d like to start compiling a list of email addresses for a possible Book Blog Tour. If you are interested, please email me at totallytogether AT gmail DOT com, and I’ll pass along your info.

You all rock.

RAWCK!

oh! and it’s my mom and dad’s anniversary today.  36 years. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

« Previous Page