…Dots and -Dashes-

Yes it is that magic, insane time known in the writerly world as NaNoWriMo time, and whether you refer to yourself as a NaNoer or a WriMist we’re all on one heck of a crazy race to finish 50,000 words by the end of November. Good words would be better, but so long as it’s a word and recognized by your word processing program then it’s all good!

I’ve sprung ahead and achieved the best start to NaNoWriMo ever and currently sit with a tidy 6,350 words and we’re only 2 days in. While I’m hoping to be able to stay ahead of the game in my word count goals I am taking a moment to update my blog and tidy up some details with my novel.

Through November I’ll try to keep updating my blog and perhaps share tidbits about my characters here or there.

I’ll go back over the beginning of our vacation in a bit - I just wanted to write a quick note here before we go out for the day and hunt down some lunch. To sum up the beginning to our vacation I’ll simply say it involved a hell of a lot of driving, a little old man, MORE driving, some TNT, and a half concocted plan to hunt for the Ogopogo. Oh, and did I mention the quality time spent in the car DRIVING?

For those of you who don’t know who/what the Ogopogo is see here: http://www.ogopogoquest.com/Legend.htm

By the way I’ve posted a few photos on my Facebook for those that have me as a friend and I’ll have more going up shortly.

Seriously…. Rain….. Everyday of my vacation. Why? Which weatherman do I have to bribe to have that changed?

I’m bummed… But we’ll still try to have fun… Soggy wet fun

The Mr. and I are leaving in a week for our very first vacation together - alone. Sure we’ve gone traveling in the 4 years that we’ve been living together, but every vacation has involved either his or my family being along (the price we paid for having them pay for our trips). 

We’re packing up the car and hitting the road despite the current state of gas prices. We’ll be driving through Jasper then on to Kelowna, Penticton and Osoyoos then back up through Lake Louise and our old haunts in Banff and Canmore. We may or may not finish out the trip in Drumheller, but that’s yet to be decided (I’m keeping my eye on those gas prices).

As I start on the long list of things that need to be done before we go (the biggest of which is laundry which I’m procrastinating on) I’m wondering what sort of music I should bring along. We need a CD of road trip songs. 

Thus far my list consists of a lot of Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams:

• You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi
• Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
• Lost Highway - Bon Jovi
• Summertime - Bon Jovi
• We Got it Goin On - Bon Jovi
• I Love This Town - Bon Jovi
• Open Road - Bryan Adams
• Nowhere Fast - Bryan Adams 

So obviously I need a little more variety - I may love Bryan Adams and Bon Jovi but my husband.. well.. not so much and I’d rather like to avoid fighting over who controls the music through this trip. If anyone out there has suggestions I’ll take em!

What do I love today? Take a look:

- Herb infused chocolate chip cookies (yum!!)
- Bento boxed lunches
- Vacation Time!!!
- Nanowrimo planning!!

.. if you look really close, there’s a rip in the sky and you, can see the universe, spinning around like a pin in your hand ..

I wrote my first book when I was in Grade 2. It was a story about a family of pumpkins and I gave it to my Uncle for his birthday. If I had to define a single moment as the deciding factor for me being a writer - that project would be it. Taking that joy that writing gave me at such a young age and turning it into a potential career has been, well, more than aggrivating.

At times I have given up. I have gone entire years without writing a single word towards a poem, short story or novel. Then there are the times where I let go of my worries and immerse myself in writing. There is no deeper thrill than the pull of a story, the chatter of a favorite character, the knowledge that all of this is your creation.

.. stop and look at the sun, tell me what have you done today, that left you dreaming ..

This blog is a story in itself, following the path that my goals to become a writer take me. I foster no false hope that I’ll hit a best seller list, purely that someday and somehow I will have a novel of mine published. In the mean time feel free to join me on my journey and leave lots and lots of comments!

* Title & Song Lyrics: What You Want by Hayley Sales