Well, obviously, I can’t do two things at once. My brain can either produce the writing for my book, or it can produce something for my blog, but not both.
It took me over four hours last night to go back and read blogs from the week, drop likes, and leave embarrassing comments. Even though I was late to everything, I did find that being the last one to leave a comment can be a good thing. Fewer people are likely to read the crazy things that come out of your brain at 2:00 in the morning.
—–
My cousin sent a link to me this week. It was for some old pictures of our grandmother, grandfather, and aunts and uncles. I have to show you one photo that I just love. My aunt and uncle (brother and sister) look like they came right out of a Mad Men episode. They both have drinks and cigarettes in hand, and the furniture was fab.
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Of course, I saw my mother this week. She doesn’t have a computer, but she does have a Presto machine. It’s a printer for receiving emails. Before I went up to see her, I sent the first chapter of my book to her. We were waiting in line at the drive-thru at the bank, and she said, “I don’t like your book.” My heart sank. If my mother didn’t like the first chapter, I was in trouble. There was no way I was starting over, and I didn’t have another idea. I said, “Aww, really? What didn’t you like?” She tried, but she couldn’t hold back a smile, and she said, “Oh, I’m just teasing you. I loved it. I can picture everything, and it’s really good. I didn’t like that you left me hanging.” Grr! Mothers! She took a week off the life of my heart.
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NaNo is a bit of a pain. When I wrote my other books, I just wrote when I felt like it. Some days produced a lot of words, other days a few or none. This is Day 10, and I’m supposed to be at 16,667 words by the end of the day. That’s not going to happen. The story went completely cattywompus in the condo, and I have no idea how it got out of control. But it’s making me laugh, and I’m going to go with it and see what happens. It’s as though all of those ideas and notes I made before November have 
flown out the window. The detective in the Santa suit – out. The major mystery at the cooking competition – out. A man wearing a gorilla head – in. Susan and zombies – in. It’s as though I’m possessed. Oh, and we’re only at 11,627 words.
Hubby is on vacation next week. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of writing done then. /sarcasm
So, what’s shakin’ in your neck of the woods?
Breezy Books 
Opening line of your second book made me want to read so much more. Way to grab my attention!! 🙂
I have to say it again … you are such a hoot! Thank you so much for reading my books. 🙂
I’m enjoying them 🙂
I know what you mean about writing or blogging, it’s hard to find enough time for one let alone both! NaNoWriMo sounds like it’s going well for you. Good luck with the rest of your story.
I chuckled at all of those who were making meal plans, writing plans, and having everything on a schedule ahead of time for NaNoWriMo. I’m thinking now they were on to something. 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
Also … love your avatar!
Thanks 🙂
That photo is priceless. I think I lived in that same house growing up. Really . . . what were the adults thinking when they decorated in harvest gold and avocado green?
Good luck with the writing. I haven’t written squat since dad took ill.
I was so enthralled with the pictures my cousin posted, I asked Mom for some photo albums with the “old pictures.” I brought several home with me and can’t wait to go through them. There is surely a blog post in there. … Hoping and praying for a time of rest and recovery for your dad.
I will send you a snorkel so you don’t have to come up for air 😀
Hey! I know what Vogon poetry is now. I looked it up. And your poetry is way better. 😉 Thank you for the snorkel!
I try to drop some humour into most things, if you have not read Douglas Adams, give it a try 🙂
The Hitchhiker’s Guide guy. I actually haven’t read him. I’ll make a note of him on my reading list. My husband and I find humor in everything. We figure we’ll either laugh or cry, and we choose to laugh. He is presently at a store about 20 miles from here – with a dead battery in the motorcycle. Hahaha!! He’ll get home eventually.
Monty Python meets Science Fiction, just don’t watch any of the films, they are painfully bad. Flat battery will turn any motorbike into a pushbike 🙂
I admire anyone brave enough to venture a try at NaNo.
Thank you. I’m surprised at the layer of pressure it adds. I wrote the first drafts for my other books within a month, but now that I’m on a deadline, it is taking for-ev-er. Hope your neighborhood is drying out, and you are able to get around now.
Does NaNo require a final draft at the end or just a first draft? Don’t worry if it goes in weird directions. Also, I like your uncle’s retro can! Lastly, gorillas?! Have you ever played gorilla dice??
It’s a first draft, which is why there is a gorilla head and zombies, but I’m pretty sure the zombies are staying. I read your instructions for gorilla dice, but I’ve never played!
Get it in the book, your fans will love it! (well, me.)
I think I see what David Harding is trying to do here…..
Oh, he’s a slick one all right. Maybe a future book … the one I’m working on is currently taken.;-)
So I heard! 😉
I talked to my mother today. She read the scene and liked it. We’re good to go! I think the ending of the book will be a reference, too. 😉
haha fun!
So now I know where you get your sassyness from:) Your mother sounds feisty.
Oops, I meant sassiness.
I leave typos all over the place. It’s a curse. 🙂 My mother is really a lot of fun. She likes to laugh, and she likes a good practical joke, too.
Regardless of the time of day, or night, your posts and your visits to our blogs are always appreciated. Steve
Thank you, Steven. There are just some blogs I hate to miss, and yours is one of them.
You know exactly what’s going on in my neck of the woods. A very public, slow descent into utter madness. Thanks for being a part of it!
Yes! A thing of beauty to watch. 🙂 I’ll be back for more!
I added a “terms and conditions” page. Check it out! It’s about this very thing!
Cattywompus …. 🙂 Shakin’ it over here, Boss.
I *knew* you would like that word. I found at least four different spellings for it, too. Glad you’re shakin’. 😉
That was quite the trick your mother pulled on you. Talk about your heart sinking. Glad she was just giving you a hard time. And good luck getting work done with your hubby home. 🙂
The look on her face was pretty cute when she realized she “got” me. Next week may just be a lost week. I can’t wait to read how your book signing(s) went. There was more than one, yes?
I just had one yesterday and I have another one on Wednesday. 🙂
I loved your fun adventure with NaNoWriMo especially when the characters decide they’re living a different story than the one you thought you were writing and you gotta change everything. Your Mom is a sweetie! This darned blogging sure takes a lot of time. Thanks for checking in on mine. I appreciate it. Always happy to see your name.
I’m having a good time watching you build a book. … I am truly rudderless with my book. I have no idea where it’s going. It’s all pantster from here on out!
Funny how they just grab a hold of it and go a whole different direction! Maybe you can make a deal with her, write this one for her and she cooperates with you on the next one! Sounds fun!
Your mum sounds like a classic! I love the pic of your aunt and uncle (looks a bit like my family) 😉
I honestly don’t know where you find the time for nano – you are “Maddie Superwoman”! 😀
Isn’t that funny, because I think YOU are “Dianne Superwoman!” You have way more going on than I do. After we lost our two big dogs within a month of each other, and then our son moved out, I found I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands this year. That probably contributed to the writing mystery (as in where did it come from?). I do have a work-from-home job, but it is woefully unattended, and I’d rather blog and write. 🙂
Oh – I’m sorry you lost your dogs, Maddie. I have two big dogs and I know something like this would devastate me! 😦
I just realised I mentioned the loss of the dogs before the son moving out 😉 It’s hard when a child leaves. My older son left earlier in the year and works as a fireman in Darwin (I’m very proud of him!) I have a daughter who lives in Melbourne and my youngest son is still at home (he’s 23).
My new ‘wok-from-home job’ will be writing 😀
‘Cattywompus’! Love the word. Looked it up in two of the big name online dictionaries without any luck – found it in ‘urban dictionary’. Thanks for a wonderful new word (to me).
And feel free to leave crazy comments any time of day or night.
Isn’t that a fun word?! I’ve used it practically all my life. So many different spellings, and they all mean the same thing. Urban dictionary for sure. 🙂 I’ll keep leaving those comments! Thanks for coming by.
Is it just me or did the older generations just have a shit-ton more style? I mean, I have seen the pictures of the old “country” people in my family and they look better on a random Tuesday than I do on Saturday night. I guess people were not fat back the day either…lol
I know! I think my aunt and uncle look sooo cool. And I remember when my mother wore pretty dresses for everyday wear. However, if I go too far back into the black and white family photos from the turn of the century, it is quite frightening.
P.S. – Cigarettes and alcohol probably replaced food and kept the weight off. 😉
You know, you’re still doing a lot better than me! I only managed to hit 11k today, and that’s at the expense of blogging and reading my friends’ posts. I think I will be glad when November is over because it’s proving to be too difficult to juggle everything. 😦
Is this your first year, Zen? I don’t remember. It is mine, and I’m so surprised at how much NaNo affects writing. I’m trying to ignore the word count, but it’s hard. Writing was much easier without a deadline looming overhead, and it definitely makes it hard to find time for blogging.
It’s actually my fifth, but so much is preventing me from writing these days. My laptop has been breaking every day for the last three days and work is impossible. =[
Good luck though! You can do it. 😀
I had to cheer when I read your observation about the benefits of leaving the last comment. I often leave late comments myself, and have had the same thought: thank goodness no one else will likely see this absolute rot!
Loved the photo– what perfect retro colors! Yes, it was fun back then when one could smoke and drink and sit on tacky furniture in happy blissful ignorance… : )
Gorilla suits are good. I once saw an obscure New Zealand film called Send A Gorilla, about three women who deliver singing telegrams dressed in gorilla suits. I’ve forgotten everything else, but I know I enjoyed it. Gorilla suits work!!
Good luck with NaNo, and tell your mom to stop being such a wise guy! : )
I love your comments! Yes, blissful ignorance. Don’t even get me started on the things we used to do in offices! They would be “go to jail” harassment-type things today. … I looked up the Send a Gorilla movie. Hahaha – looks like it was a fun one. Yes, my mom may be 83-years-old, but she’s a real wisenheimer. 🙂
I thought about doing NaNo to kick start my own novel again, but I have a hard enough time making myself write without a deadline, with a deadline I don’t seem to want to write either – keep up the great work Maddie! I admire your work ethic!! 🙂
Thank you, Amanda. I don’t like this deadline at all, but I crossed 16,000 words today. I’m catching up – even though I’ve lost all control of the story. My characters seem to be taking over everything. 🙂
That’s not always a bad thing! 🙂 But sometimes its like ahh…characters getting minds of their own! 😛
Maddie, I’ve decided you and I should be best friends. Too forward? Feel a little stalked? Sorry about that. But I really think you should give it some consideration. I LOVE that NoBoBlaBla is not working for you. I love that you’re a girl who does her own think on her own schedule. And enjoy your weekend alone!
Yes, bffs for sure! Stalk away! 🙂 My mom always said I had to be different. A fellow blogger said I let my “freak flag fly.” If you’re a freak-flag-flyer (and I think you are), then we will be good for each other. 🙂
I’ve been on hiatus myself (I kind of miss the 30-day Blogging Challenge in October). I think I’m going to write about it soon, too.
It’s hard to keep up sometimes, but I really enjoyed reading your daily posts. You always had something interesting to say or show.
Oh, Ms Maddie. You never fail to make me smile. I feel honored to receive such compliments from a writer like you. 🙂
I had a dream about zombified Gorilla’s once. I watched Planet of the apes (Mark Whalberg) and zombieland in the same day . . . but anyway back to reality. You are a published author and are talented beyond reason. So I am humbled that you encourage me to chin up and write on! LOL thanks 🙂
Isn’t it funny how things from our daily lives play starring roles in our dreams? … Honestly, William, talented beyond reason is a stretch, and I am self-published, but I do want to encourage you. I am truly trying to reach 50k and the finish line, but I won’t feel a failure if I don’t make it. It is all accomplishment and something to be proud of. … Hope you got that girl tamed, and your writing continues! 😉
Oh! Stick with it! For me, since I gave up already. 😦 I finished Nano 3 years ago and wrote a wonderful book. The past two years I’ve gotten pretty far, but November is always the worst possible month for me. I’m usually travelling on business and have almost no time to write. (Even blog posts sometimes!) And this month, I have my son’s wedding on top of travel, so I only made it 8,615 words into Nano before I had to throw in the towel. 😦 I wish you much better success.
You can’t do NaNo and be in Singapore at the same time! And a wedding, too! I think finishing NaNo once in a lifetime might be enough. 😉 Looking forward to more pics from your trip!
Hi Maddie I love the photo of your Aunt and Uncle, thanks for sharing it. Good luck with writing since hubby will be home. I know when my husband’s home I get nothing done, ooops did I write that 🙂
Hi Rita Kay! My aunt and uncle were pretty groovy. … I laughed out loud about your husband. It’s a gray, rainy day here today, so after mine ran to the grocery store for me, he found the sofa for a long nap, and I’ve been able to write today. We’ll see what the rest of the week brings. 🙂
You are brave to just be participating! I can hardly keep up with my blog and laundry at the same time. My house is a mess these days.
I have a hard time keeping up with everyone else’s blog! And how is it that I wasn’t following yours? I swear, I push follow buttons and they ignore me! I must be over my quota. … And my house is a pig pen!
I am still finding people that I thought I was following all along and it turns out I am not. WordPress can play tricks on the mind sometimes I think! I agree though, it is impossible to read every single post of every lovely person I follow, but I do try (without starving or skipping showers).
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I can’t even imagine NaNoWriMo. I get behind just postin’ my stuff, makin’ jewelry, my church work, makin’ jewelry, readin’ other peoples post, and spendin’ my time with my wife and dog.
Blogging in itself takes more time than I ever thought it would. Other things do slip through the cracks, but I do spend time with my husband every day. It helps that he falls asleep early, and then my word count goes up!
I do most of my work while sittin’ on the couch next to my wife. We are always together. I guess it works, we’ve been married 41 years.
I can’t even comprehend 11k words so you must be doing great!
It’s a little frustrating that I’m still running about 1300 words behind where I should be, but I crossed 18k words last night. Hoping to finally move ahead today.
I cannot imagine tackling this venture myself! I love your humor, your sacasm and you mother….(I hope it is 2 a.m. somewhere! 🙂 paula~ You GO!
Thanks, Paula! I’m trying to catch up with blogs tonight. I dropped off a few more chapters for my mother to read today. I’ll find out tomorrow if the guy in the gorilla head and the zombies are going to go over well or not. 😉
love it!
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They sure knew how to have a good time back in the sixties, didn’t they?
I don’t know about you (because you’re a pro), but I can NOT write under pressure… Good luck Maddie!
Hi Maggie! They most certainly did have fun in the sixties. There wasn’t much of anything that was pc then. … I’ve been able to write almost every day, but it does feel different with the pressure of NaNo. I have no idea if I’ll make the finish line or not, but I’m still trying. Thanks for the good luck wishes!
Congratulations Maddie! http://flyawayhomebook.com/2012/11/16/its-been-quite-a-year/
Thank you, Maggie! I’m on my way over now to take a look. 🙂
Hello,
Just letting you know that I’ve nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.
Check it out http://thejennymacbookblog.wordpress.com/
Thank you, Chelsea! I’m heading over to your place now. 🙂
If you put a blonde wig on her I would swear it is my grandmother!
You grandmother is probably very cool, too. 🙂
Love that photo of the siblings… that fashion is right back hot again… 🙂
Thanks!! It makes me smile every time I peek at this post and see it again. Fashions do tend to come back around. I like that, but I’ll never wear a mini skirt again! 😉