Feeling Shiny

Adding my name and book title would require
a level of technical savvy I do not possess.

Item #1: I won the NaNoWriMo challenge! With a whopping 50,006 words during the month of November. Hoorah! In case you’re wondering, the novel I worked on is different from last year’s and different from Eye of the Beholder (the “Beauty and the Beast” project you probably hear about ad nauseum if you ever ask about how my writing is going). In the past I always wondered how you could turn a fairy tale retelling into a series. You retell the fairy tale once. Done. But I wonder no longer. In trying to decide what to write this year, it just sort of happened: This year’s project, currently titled The Price of Sight or maybe The Price of Looking (but most likely eventually titled something completely different), is a sequel to Eye of the Beholder. Sort of, anyway. It’s set about twenty years after Eye, and it’s about Isabel and the Beast’s daughter, Min. It’s not a fairy tale retelling, just a young adult fantasy novel with a little adventure, a little murder, a little dancing, a little romance, and a lot of magic. And no, it’s not finished. And no, you can’t read it yet. Seriously, people. When I tell you something is a rough draft, it’s really really (really) rough.

Item #2: I took second place in a little Mormon Mommy Writers competition. And okay, yes, the prize is $5. But it also includes publication (even if the publication is tiny). Essentially it’s just fun to have someone outside my family and friends say, “Hey, I think this girl’s submission is shiny.” Although they probably didn’t say “shiny.” But that’s okay, because I’m feeling shiny! In case you’re wondering what I wrote, it was mostly this blog post, with a little less snottiness. Thanks to my fabulous brother Makani for liking the post enough to make me wonder if it might appeal to others!

Item #3: Creative deadline #347 is long-since passed. I intended to have several drafts of Eye complete this year. Ha! What a joke. Onto #378, which is this: My writing buddy Meghan and I both intend to have a finished first draft of our novels finished by the end of February. Stay tuned for the moment when I watch that deadline zoom by too.

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And now I’m wondering. All those people I challenged to a NaNoWriMo adventure, it’s time to report! (Oh, and sorry I didn’t cheer you on better. Sigh. But I do think you’re awesome.) Did you accomplish your goal? Only some of it? A tiny, tiny speck of it? Good work, now go do some more!