NaNo Me Up

Okay, this has nothing to do with quilting.  I’m just here to say that, once again, I am joining in on the November madness that is NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month.  I did it a few years ago with friends and it was the most fun I’ve ever had writing – which is what happens when you throw the idea of quality right out the window.  (This works for quilting, too).   Anyone who passes that magic 50,000 words in a month goal line is a winner.   I was never so proud of a “You’ve Won!” certificate in my life.

Sad to say, however, last year I signed up but wasn’t really motivated and didn’t finish.  This is demoralizing.  It demonstrates a lack of character or backbone or some other worthy virtue that had clearly absconded for the time being.  I am in sore need of redemption.  How can I ruin that wonderful win by always having to think, “But then I tried again and didn’t finish, didn’t even come close”?  No, no, no.  This is no good. 

Time to ante up.  Which is why I’m here promising to post word count updates on my progress.  Frankly, I’ve always found the threat of public humiliation wonderfully motivating.  (Do I really want to post on my blog that I failed to reach my goal?  Right here in front of God and everyone in Blogland?  Heck, no.)

Not only this, I’ve decided to go for the gusto (so to speak) and write a romance novel.  The ladies of my quilt group have informed me for years that I have a problem because I’ve never been able to write a sex scene.  Here’s what happens when I try: I sit at the computer, all alone with no one looking over my shoulder, turn scarlet as soon as my two fictional bodies come within a foot of each other, panic, and then turn tail (okay, now there’s a truly awful pun) and run.  Fortunately, the immediate application of a significant dose of chocolate has usually dealt with the trauma. 

But not this time.  I am committed.  I have a general idea of my plot with, yes, sex scenes included.   Racy, salacious sex scenes.  I’m blushing just writing that.  (And now I’m wondering just how writing “sex” several times in a single blog entry might impact search engines.  I’m thinking some inquisitors might be sorely disappointed).

And because it’s just too barren to have a blog entry completely sans photos, here’s a few.  Here’s my writing desk (notice how I cleverly drape a quilt for effect, because this is, after all, a blog about quilting):

 

A truth in advertising moment impels me to mention that my desk only looks that clean because I took the multiple stacks of papers piled upon it and relocated them to the floor.

Here’s a close-up of my two very important guardians.  They keep the writing critics safely at bay.  One looks blustery and the other wise.  Aren’t they wonderful?

 

But here is where I really write, sitting in this chair with the laptop in my lap.  (Notice additional clever quilt drape-age – when I went into my closet looking for a couple tops to drape here, I found this one and went, “Oh, I’d forgotten about this one.  I really like it.  I really should finish this up!).

 

Please.  Wish me luck.  I am so going to need it!