Category Archives: Events

November 30, 2010

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1874 words until a NaNoWriMo win this year.

That’s all.

Except to add:

A friend asked me this month if now I have a system for writing novels. And someone else asked me what the point was of this exercise.

It’s too soon to say about a system, but I will say this: the first time I did NaNoWriMo (2006) I learned how to stick with a novel longer than I felt like it. This time, I think the biggest accomplishment was to display and emphasize to my world (i.e. my significant relationships at church and in my extended family) how important writing is to me.

I’ve hinted at it, and even tried various metaphors or similes to communicate my need to write (“How long can you go without showering? Okay, now just imagine writing is that important to me.”), but being somewhat on display this month has made it very apparent, even to those who may think I have misplaced priorities.

I do pray that those who misunderstood at the beginning of the month have modified their perceptions, but even if they haven’t I feel thankful that my own understanding and expectations of writing has been clarified.

So here’s to bed and one last day of creating before a serious rest (along with a well-needed bout of house cleaning) and a closure of this experiment for the second time.

“With God all things are possible,” especially when it’s what He’s created you to do.

Cultural Shorthand

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One place I believe we discover identity is in the cultural shorthand we share with those similar to us; the stories we have in common.  This can be movies, literature, shared experience and even the Bible– if you have that in common.

For example, in this odd season I find myself in, I’m finding it easier to explain to Biblically grounded people what’s going on.

And I don’t mean that as any species of slur to people who don’t know the Bible.

It is a running gag (mercifully petering out) in *Bones* to have one character make a cultural reference and the title character responds, “I don’t know what that means.”

In the 3rd season someone compared the latest antagonist to the Sith (Everybody here knows Star Wars, right?) And the point: A master and an apprentice, there can never be more than two, which one are we dealing with? was communicated that simply and succinctly.

If you got the reference.

This is one advantage of a shared culture: efficiency.

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How often does “Better” equal “Easier”?

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My guess, if we’re honest, is Not very often.

Last week I attended my first Cooperative Extension “Preserving Alaska’s Bounty” class. It is taught by Roxie, a woman who’s been teaching preserving food for longer than I’ve been alive.

Over the next 7 months we will be learning canning (fish, meat, tomatoes, beans…), jams & jellies, sausage-making and more.  A different topic each month with an angle toward what we can grow or gather here in Alaska.

I went in with great trepidation, afraid of looking like some kind of ‘nut’ who’s  got the audacity to imagine I could live off the land with just a few more of these skills.

What a relief to find the class overflowing with folks that are just plain interested in having more control over the food on their shelves.

“I am a home economist,” Roxie said, introducing herself. “I teach living better at home.”

Before we left for the night Roxie gave a blurb about the cheese-making classes she’s teaching later this month.  Her way of warning the mozzarella was *work* was saying that most students continue to buy it just because it’s such a complex process.

She didn’t ever try to hint that “better” meant easier, and she made no apologies or conditional statements to go along with that.  I am delighted to meet such a knowledgeable and energetic lady, and look forward to learning all I can from her.

~ ~ ~

It was useful to step back from the EXCLAIMITORY! aura of the marketing world that insists one can have both easy and better. My experience has contradicted that enough times that I now gather encouragement from simple truth-telling.

Yes that novel is worth the extra draft.

Yes eating at home is worth the health benefits.

Yes working with weights is the way to go.

Yes, eight hours of sleep each night will make everything better: relationships, attitudes, health, stamina, creativity.

Is it easy? Uh, NO. But I have no doubt it is better.

Speaking of Identity

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Which you weren’t but I’ve been musing on for a while.

I used to thrive on controversy. Then I married Jay and that really must have mellowed me.  I have made near-monumental efforts to avoid making waves, and have congratulated myself on how much I was maturing.

But now I wonder if part of such behavior isn’t some form of laziness, because if I don’t set myself up to be challenged I never have to think more than I want to; I never have to explain myself in opposition to anything else.

And now Jay and I are looking at starting a family farm.

As in, a small farm designed to make our little family of five as self-provided-for as our Alaskan environment will allow.

Which, as it turns out, is a lot if you plan properly.

To go back a step, my openness to this idea really flowered when a book encouraging healthy eating pointed out that planning for food never used to be optional.  And not just in a night-before or weekly-menu way, but seasons in advance.

It’s not just possible, it used to be both normal and necessary. I don’t need to feel foolish considering such a thing.

The farm is something significant I can do to provide for my family.

The first square in the “then” category of this chart hit me hard when I first read it.  The role of homekeeper isn’t devalued by our culture simply because some nebulous someone expects a paycheck to equal value. It’s devalued in a basic and capitalistic sense because it is no longer necessary.

I can be replaced by a McDonald’s/public school/TV combo.

Tell me that’s not demoralizing.

Enough to make me lazy & useless when I don’t feel like doing anything; after all, I don’t *really* have to.

And this is about controversy because the motivation for all this effort (other than I’ve always wanted to to the little-farm thing –- delighting in the learning curve as I do) is that my husband and I really feel our country (and world) is going to change significantly before our children are grown.

I’ve been thinking of homeschooling as “adult-training” as well as book learning, so to train them in self-sufficiency is to prepare them for their adult lives.

So we (mostly I, since it would be my responsibility as Jay continues to work a full-time job) are beginning research, to sign up for workshops and seeking out like-minded people.  And the kids are right on the cusp of being able to fully understand what’s going on.

Here comes the next adventure, and I am energized at the prospect of repeating something my and Jay’s Grandparents (and our parents) did in their younger years: create a new life and identity together, wrapped around hard work and a vision.

Wasting Time

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My sensible self is rolling its eyes at this evening’s activity, but the rest of me is giddy at how much I got done– on a completely new project.

I started a new blog tonight (yes, yes, I know I have too much time on my hands).

In that my toddler brain can’t stand any idea-food touching, I’ve taken the information-collecting part of my weight-loss (primarily recipe-collecting) to its own space.

I hated the idea that I would be talking about weight-loss forever (I surely hope not!), but I wanted a place to talk about life-style modification/growth, and realized that that is a corner of stuff I talk about here, so I’ll have to decide if I focus on just recipes and life-style stuff over there, and keep this place as it is, or (as the other blog title suggests) I could put my advice and “life hacks” over there too.

It would free this place up to focus more specifically on reading and writing, which would be nice in a way, but I get the impression that my (few) faithful readers actually prefer the mix.

Does anybody want to weigh in on that?

The Tea, the tea, the lovely tea…

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I felt I ought to give a wrap up since I mentioned it here several times.

The Care Net Sonshine Tea fundraiser was Saturday morning.

Two notes to self (if I ever do this again– and I might):

  1. Don’t get injured the week before you’re going to be racing all over a giant room for hours (co-)directing and getting things ready.
  2. Be present every time directions are given to a new group of people.

I loved Friday’s work.  I knew or met everyone right away.  I gave directions and worked with people and we had an amazing crew that made getting things done feel like magic.

(This wasn’t just me– Mom was doing it too, but there was enough to be done we just grabbed whoever we needed– or was near– and put them to work).

Saturday I didn’t come early, I just came in time for my Saturday assignment: checking guests in and directing them to the right tables (perfect job for the gimp: I got to sit).  The problem: when wrap-up came the crew of youngsters (briefed early a.m. by Mom) could not understand why *I* was briefing them now, or why they should do what I said.

They finally started doing as I asked, but it was much more clumsy than they’d been yet that day and seemed to me more for a lack of other direction than any spirit of obedience or service.

So that was frustrating.

But I liked much better “running” things and making decisions and directing a crew than I had liked hostessing a table.  That was fine of course, but I’m used to small groups of 2 or 3, and being responsible for keeping conversation alive among eight at a 5-foot table… not my gift.

~

The highlight of the morning, I think, was when a young lady (in her short-short cut-offs) got up front and told the story of coming scared to the Center at 17, expecting judgment and contemplating abortion.  She shared how seeing her son’s heartbeat on the ultrasound screen completely flooded her heart and made her wonder how could have even considered ending his life for her mistakes.

When her story was over (brilliantly short and sweet, absolutely well-done), the center directer brought the girl’s baby up to her and the entire room stood and aplauded.

There were simply no words for that moment.  We all knew we were looking at a brave young woman, and the reason the center exists.

~ ~ ~

The tea was a good exercise in being graciously invisible. My job, the job of the committee, was to see that details were anticipated and met before they became “issues,” and since nothing gets noticed until it’s a problem I wasn’t much noticed.  And that was a good thing.

Especially since one of my goals was not to do more than I wanted to, and I met that goal.

The scripture I found the morning of the tea was a peaceful affirmation of invisibility, and I shared it during the closing benediction as a message to the donors who, other than a small thank you note, may feel unnoticed.

From Psalm 69:32-33a:

The humble will see their God at work and be glad.

Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged, for the Lord hears the cries of the needy.

Our highest goal is to bring glory to God and see His kingdom advanced, so that has to be my first thought and highest ambition.  And, you know, other than a tiny sigh here, I think I really do feel that way, and more than anything I am thankful for my not-needing to be big and strong noticed to know I’ve been effective.

First Commitee Meeting

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We had four wonderful ladies show up to meet with me and my mom and the center’s director.

Just as I had hoped, my “idea seeds” were thoroughly kicked around and burned (I mean this in a good way) until we had the right stuff to plant.

We left with assignments assigned and the next meeting scheduled and a real sense of accomplishment and doability.

As I dropped off my mom she checked to make sure she hadn’t stepped on my toes by how much she jumped in and guided the conversation.

“No,” I said, “You were great. People their age aren’t used to being led by someone my age. They respond to me, but they listen to you. ”

She nodded. “And when I’m the oldest person in my group, I’m invisible.”

“It only means we should keep working together,” I said.

~

One of my favorite parts, I’ll admit, was to be able to step on top of the current (interesting but not imminently necessary) conversation and say, “We’ve got five minutes left, let’s verify tasks and schedule the next meeting.”

I’ve always been the type of person who wants to say that, but today was the first time I actually had the authority to do so.

~ ~ ~

Finished scene 36 tonight.
Just re-read the first draft of a promising project and nearly gagged. Which is fine.  It’s just a rough draft and I expect it to have obvious flaws.

What I’m actually scared of is having “real” readers/writers go through my mss (manuscript) and know they have the same feeling about my multiple-revision work that I did about my first draft.

Welcome to the 2009 Blog Party!

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Every year I meet new neat people, and I’m so happy you’re stopping by to visit.

This blog is about stories, writing, and ideas.

It’s also the story of me writing my first novel.

Based on a little-known folktale, it’s the story of a young woman who risks marrying a “beast” in order to escape her abusive step-mother.  She disenchants a good man, but her happily-ever-after is interrupted when her new husband must undertake a quest, leaving her alone to face new monsters.  

I’m fascinated with getting inside other people’s heads and figuring out how they think; it’s one of my favorite things about noveling.  Perhaps as a result I am very transparent with my own thought processes and that’s what ends up on this blog: “Thinking out-loud.”

This week I’ve got a line-up of posts to  give you a survey of how I think, a bit of the variety I cover, and a book or two to sign up for each day of the party.  (I collect and share books constantly.)

  • Writing advice for the beginning novelist (and did you ever wonder the difference between blogging and writing a book?)
    • Giving away Bird by Bird
  • A question I had to work out for my own novel
    • Giving away two of my favorite fairy tale novelizations
  • A comparison of old and new tellings of traditional tales
    • Giving away a book of tales and a small folklore encyclopedia
  • And more– (including my favorite advice for moms)– something new each day with a corresponding book giveaway

So if a patchwork of ideas interests you (and/or you want to check out the daily posts for a new book or two) stop back by.

Sign-ups for the giveaways start Saturday the 21st: I was initially allowing four days to sign up for each selection, but a friend more experienced in giveaways said I ought to allow at least a week, so that’s what you’ll have:  One week to sign-up for each book (I’ll post the winner at the bottom of the comments when each sign-up closes.)

The links along the top and sides will tell you all you need to know about me and Untangling, and give you a fair idea of the forest you have stumbled into.

I hope you enjoy your time here,