We were lucky here in my little corner of Pennsylvania. We didn't even lose power for more than 1 minute! My parents were not quite as lucky. They just got their power back after two and a half days.
But a lot of people in New Jersey and New York, especially, were not at all lucky. Their lives have been changed forever. Please take a moment to think of them as you go about your day. Sometimes pictures really do say it best. The most haunting photos I've seen are these from Reuters.
OR, you can bid on the wonderful auction items -- including critiques from some pretty famous authors -- at Kid-Lit Cares (all donations going to Red Cross relief effort for Sandy). See Kate Messner's website for details.
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Good luck to everyone who signed up for NaNoWriMo. I can't handle it, myself. That's not how I write.
Maggie Stiefvater explained it most eloquently: I don’t have a problem with other people doing NaNoWriMo. If that’s what it takes to motivate you, go for it. If you work well that way, go for it (not that you were sitting around, waiting for my approval). But for my style of writing, for my creative process, it will literally never work. I cannot knowingly write crap. I just can’t. I can and do write crap, but I can’t realize that I’m doing it at the time. Read the rest of her Annual Dear John Letter to NaNoWriMo here.
But after visiting Caroline Starr Rose's blog yesterday and finding out that she's participating in a different activity this November, I realized... hey, I can handle that! I've done it before (in 2010).
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| This year's logo is by Ward Jenkins |
What's PiBoIdMo? Picture Book Idea Month! All you have to do is come up with 30 new ideas for picture books. You don't even have to write them yet. PiBoIdMo was created by the one and only Tara Lazar. Visit Tara's PiBoIdMo page for all the details and to sign up. Quick! While you still have time!
And you still have time to enter my two giveaways.
Enter here for GEEKS, GIRLS, AND SECRET IDENTITIES. But hurry! Giveaway ends tomorrow night!
Enter here for TOUCHING THE SURFACE. Giveaway ends Wed November 7.
What about you? Did you sign up for NaNo? Or PiBoIdMo? Or are you plugging away at a revision on your own? Yay for you!
I can't do NaNo either. I feel the same way as Maggie. Actually, I'm already writing crap, I don't need the added pressure. If you can do it, more power to ya. I'm plugging away at a first draft, as you know. Its going to need a ton of work so we will see.
ReplyDeleteHaha, I hear ya, Christine! I love what I write for about the first 10 pages, then I start realizing how bad it is!
DeleteIf you love your new story enough, you'll keep plugging away at it. Good luck!
I'm not do NaNo, either. First, there's timing. It's never the right time for me. I'm usually busy with another project, and I don't want to put it aside until I've finished the draft I'm on. Two, it's not like I need the motivation of NaNo to write a first draft. Three, I'd rather not fall back to my high school days where I write tons of unnecessary words just to reach a word count. :D
ReplyDeleteYeah, the timing wouldn't work for me either, Stina. I'm halfway through revising my second novel. And you're right about unnecessary words just to reach a word count. That's the down side of NaNo, I think.
DeleteSo glad you're doing okay. I'm not doing NaNo and doubt I ever can while working. There's not enough hours in the day. But I will try to focus more on writing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Natalie! Focusing more on writing is always a good thing. Good luck!
DeleteI don't do NaNo. Way too much pressure.
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not the only one, Linda!
DeleteI am not doing NaNo because I have too much going on to have the time to try to write the quantity that is needed. I do think it sounds interesting and I may try it one day- but so far it hasn't come at the right time for me. Good luck coming up with the picture book ideas.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts go out to all of those impacted by Sandy. It hit here in CT, too- but I was lucky enough not to lose power. Lots of downed trees everywhere!
~Jess
Hi Jess. Thanks. Glad to hear you didn't lose power. Yes, there are some huge trees uprooted not far from my street, but we didn't lose power either.
DeleteGlad you were okay through the Sandy. I saw the photos, it was devastating.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nas. Yes, it was horrifying.
DeleteThanks for the heads up on the auction. Am so sorry to hear about the bookstore!
ReplyDeleteWell, it hasn't closed yet, Linda. But it was time for me to go.
Delete