Stories

Image courtesy of National Novel Writing Month

Ever hear of the National Novel Writing Month? It's this crazy awesome thing where people around the world challenge themselves to write a short novel (minimum of 50,000 words in order to "win") during the month of November. You know, during the start of the holiday season, when the days begin to get shorter and colder. Well, at least for those of here in the Northeast. (My hands are freezing even as I type this now.)

I first heard about NaNoWriMo (as it's more widely known) way back in 1999. I think I may have even started to jot down a story on paper...in a notebook...by hand. Needless to say, that didn't go very far. In 1999 I had three year old and I was working full-time outside the house.

I have loved to read since I can remember. Seriously, I don't have a memory before that time. Well, maybe one or two (yes, I have a couple memories from when I was only two years old). I used to take books with me everywhere. I read all the time. I love stories.

It wasn't until 2013 that I took it a bit more seriously. I joined a small group of like-minded "wanna-be" authors and banged out my first 50,000 word novel. The exhilaration in finishing that goal is like nothing else I've experienced. Well, okay, child birth was pretty cool too. And getting married. Well, you get the idea I'm sure.

Since that time I have "announced" a novel every year on the NaNoWriMo website site. My user name there is berrypatch so feel free to add me as a Writing Buddy. The more support the better! I once more "won" last year but that story was only at about the halfway point, partly because I am what's known as a pantser in the NaNoWriMo world. This is someone who "writes by the seat of their pants" without any type of outline or plan. And every year, including this one, I tell myself to use October (or Pretopber) to prep for November.

It's the time where you can write up character sketches, outline the story, create word trackers, basically do anything that will help you reach that goal of 50,000 words in November. I am slowly getting there. I'm using a bullet journal (which I've talked about here before) to help me keep things a bit more organized. This year I'm calling myself a plantser because I know that for all the organizing I do beforehand, I'll still be doing quite a bit of pantsing!

Just today I announced my newest story idea on NaNoWriMo and Facebook. I figured I'd add it here as a bit more accountability.

Story Synopsis:
Amy Peters was a naive city girl who had eloped with the baker's son. She was from a wealthy family and had lived in society for too long. She had enjoyed the benefits of having servants tend to her every need. However, she allowed her new husband, Roy McAllister, to sweep her away to the far west on the adventure of a lifetime. Yet, she knew nothing about how to cook, sew, tend livestock, or really do anything for herself. Winter was coming fast and she was going to have to learn just as fast how to do daily tasks for herself instead of pouting in the corner if she wants to make this new life succeed. Roy is patient and loving but one night he doesn't return from hunting. Amy sits shivering in their small cabin because the fire has gone out. She is waiting for Roy to return to restart it and cook dinner. But the darkness begins to fall, the cold becomes almost unbearable, the wind is howling, and there is no Roy to rescue her this time. 

Photo credit goes to my fabulous sister. She was back at the farm we all grew up on (I have four siblings) and I asked her to snap some photos of the cabin our dad had built for us years ago. I used to spend a lot of time there. There was an huge pine tree right outside of it as well that I used to climb too. The cabin is now in huge disrepair (one entire wall is down) and there are brambles and thorns growing on the path to it. Did I mention my sister rocks? She braved all of it and snapped me a few photos not even knowing why I had asked. Thanks, sis!

I'll post back at the end of November on if I "won" or not. And I may or may not post a few excerpts throughout the month of November.