Note to Self
Reading and writing and . . . well, they said there would be no math, and so far, there's been no math. But lately, I've been doing an awful lot of the other stuff! I've taken on a personal (ridiculous?) challenge. November is National Novel Writing Month, or as the official website dubs it, NaNoWriMo. We writers, on the website, are referred to as Wrimos. Every time I see these abbreviations, I feel a little like Mork from Ork. "Na-nu, Na-nu," remember? Anyway, the challenge is 50,000 words by the end of the month. The month is halfway over, and I'm not quite halfway there, but I think I can catch up. Although Thanksgiving will present a writing challenge, so I better finish early, which means I'm really quite behind. And when I try to figure out how many words per day, that brings math right back into the. . . um . . . equation. My writing software keeps a constant word count at the bottom of my document. The other day, I cut a tiny piece out of a yellow Post-It note to cover this changing, distracting number. It was my hope that when I peeked under the Post-It note that I would have exceeded my word count dreams. So far, I've been a little disappointed. I think I need to write a little more and peek a little less.
I've also been reading, mostly because I occasionally need a break from writing. My friend Lynn (Ah, Lynn, who has known me the longest of any friend, who knows me for REAL, who knows the dreams that live inside my heart) sent me a book for my birthday. The Wednesday Sisters, by Meg Waite Clayton. Stuck to the book was a seemingly innocent orange Post-It. (What's with all the Post-Its?) It read: Don't know if you've ever read this, but when I did, all I could think about was you. . .
When I called to thank her, she asked if I already owned the book. I told her I did not, and I was looking forward to reading it. The next time we spoke, she asked if I had read it yet. I hadn't. I promised her it was on my bedside table (true, it was.) I had a book club book to finish, and who knows what else. I did pick it up, though, and read the back of the book, and here's what caught my eye. "Linda admits that she aspires to write a novel herself, and the Wednesday Sisters Writing Society is born. . . they begin to embrace who they are and what they hope to become, welcoming readers to experience, along with them, the power of dreaming big." Hm. It was starting to make sense why she wanted me to read this. I re-read her Post-It. I read a few pages. I moved the book to the top of my pile.
Two days ago, I picked the book back up, and I haven't put it down, except to work on my 50,000 words. This weekend, it's been me, the book, and my laptop. We are a gruesome threesome. Words, words, and more words. But here are the words, from my new favorite book, that have stuck with me today, and may not leave me for a long while:
"We crowded around her with the music blaring—'believe in the magic that can set you free'— and as the director took that shot of us, we felt magical, and we felt young, with our futures ahead of us. Yes, we were young then, but we didn't think we were, we hadn't felt we were until that moment. Hadn't felt we were anything other than ordinary, that we could and would do whatever we decided to do, that if it would turn out in the end that we'd die without ever achieving our dreams, it wouldn't be because we'd been too afraid to try.
I'm moving the tiny yellow Post-It piece off of my computer screen. I will uncover the word count, but I will put Lynn's orange Post-It note in clear view as I write. Believe in the magic that can set you free. Words are a powerful thing. I'm grateful for words today. Fifty thousand words from my soul, 286 pages in a new favorite book, a message written on a square orange note, words from the heart, words written on the heart.
Time to go write. Na-nu, Na-nu. Wish me luck 
I love it! Good luck conquering your word counter!
Words > Math.
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Good luck! You can do it!
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Christy,
You are honoring a God-given gift: The power to reach others through the written word.
We need to talk! My writing critique group needs a new member, and something is telling me that person is you!
I miss our group at the library with Marsha. Writers need connections, otherwise we just might go nuts sitting in front of the computer all day!
Thanks for reminding me to work on my novel!!!
Write on!
-Stefanie
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>Wish me luck
Good luck, Christy. Sounds like you are well on your way!
Meg
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