NaNo Update: Day 27

Progress (word count or a general status update): 39,054.  Definitely behind.  I can still reach 50K by Friday but it's gonna take a lot of work and word sprints.

Current Mood: Zen-like.  I've almost reached the point where I don't have a choice--I just have to write.  All the time.  As a life-long procrastinator, I've come to love that points.  I do not miss deadlines (barring huge, life-altering catastrophe, of course.  No need to jinx things.)  I do paint myself into corners, but only ones I know I can get out of.  What must happen will happen.  I'm also feeling zen-like about the quality of my work.  I've noticed a lot of people I think are awesome talk a lot about how un-awesome they are (or how un-awesome they feel, anyway).  I completely understand this impulse!  But this time, I've managed to ward it off by getting excited for the whole long process of writing--and this is only the first step!  Of my first novel!  Which I will revise up the wazoo, and very possibly trunk, and then repeat the process a bunch more times.  So just at this moment, I'm indifferent to quality.  I just want there to be a thing by the time I said there would be a thing.  The first song I played on the clarinet undoubtedly sounded like garbage.  But I liked learning to play it, and I couldn't have sounded less garbage-y later without that first, garbage-y song.

Inspiration: I'm gonna light a fire under myself in this space by saying out here in public that unless I'm caught up and have 45000 words by tomorrow at 7:30, I can't go to my beloved, looked-forward-to-all-week pub quiz.  I do not miss trivia.  Even when the rest of the team bailed and forgot to tell Mr. S and me, I insisted that we stay and play as a team of two (eventually three, when a friend we called managed to make it in.)  We got our butts handed to us but I didn't care.  That's how much I love trivia.  So these words are getting done.  Full stop.

 

Goals as of Today: WRITE AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

 

Recent Favorite NaNo WiP Line:

 

“I don’t know, Rob.  You didn’t see him.  He looked really messed up over the whole thing.  And he definitely got upset when I asked him about it to begin with.”  I bite into my turkey sandwich and chew--it’s a little dry.  I wonder if anyone had time to grocery shop or if this is last week’s turkey.

“‘Messed up’ being the key phrase, genius.”  Rob pulls out a baggie of cheese and crackers.  “He’s totally ragey.  I’ve even seen it a little in practice, if somebody screws up or does something stupid.  Usually it’s just like, BAM, and then he puts on some speed or adds more weight or whatever and just gets really intense about his workout.  I thought maybe it was ‘roid rage or something.  But now I’m starting to think he’s just cracked.  Did your dad and Mary-Ann say anything?”

I shake my head.  “After the Earls went home, they both pulled out their laptops.”

Rob smiles.  “Quality time in the Miller household.”

“Yup.  But I bet Duke’s mom said something to Mary-Ann.  They were totally spilling their guts to each other by the third glass of wine.”  Rob mulls this over while inhaling a peanut-butter sandwich.  If I know him, it’s a peanut-butter-potato-chip concoction he’s been eating for years.  

“Maybe you can find out what she knows.  She trusts you, right?”  He slurps a box of grape juice.  “Go talk to her sometime when Bridget’s not around.  Go into it like it’s ‘adult-to-adult’, kind of.  Like, ‘there’s something I think you should know about the young man Bridget is seeing.’”  

I narrow my eyes.  “She thinks I’m responsible, not middle-aged.  And I don’t have anything to tell her, not really.  As far as I know, Duke is still just in the anger phase of the grieving process, and I would be totally betraying Bridget.  We’re actually starting to feel like siblings a little bit.  I’d like to hang onto that, if I can.”  

Rob frowns.  “Do you want Bridget to like you, or do you want her to stay alive?”
 

Non-NaNo News (because life DOES go on): We're having one of those weeks where we a) have tons of leftovers and b) didn't have time to grocery shop.  I like the challenge of trying to go a full week with just what's in the house, and I love it when I can actually make something delicious with what we already have.  Yesterday, the result was this: 

 

I used the Rustic White Bread recipe from Smitten Kitchen, but did part white flour, part whole wheat, and part bread flour.  I think it's a pretty indestructible recipe, as bread goes, so mess around with it.

 

In my downtime (ha!) I’m reading:  

 Jane by April Lindner.  OMG, I can't put it down.  But I have to, to write.  But I'm not happy about it.  I mean, I've read Jane Eyre, and this is a pretty faithful retelling, but it's such a great story that I can't tear myself away even though I know what to expect.  It's like Jane Eyre had some kind of unholy demon child with People magazine or the E! network.  Loving it.

 

You should read this blog post: The Deceased Language of Speed By: Maggie Stiefvater

Because:She's the coolest.  Also rally car racing, border crossing, and potentially spoilery license plates.

Gratuitous Photograph:

 

Willow's face when she saw that I was watching old Brotherhood 2.0 videos instead of writing.  She's good at helping.

 

As always, thanks to Katy Upperman for the template!