12-21-12

The Mayans said it first, but 
tea leaves said it second, her palm
said it third, and the boy 
down the road, the one with the blue,
blue eyes, said it fourth.

The world was going to end and she 
could not be happier. 

Her affairs were easy to arrange:
money sealed into envelopes,
the microwave unplugged, and one
last kiss for the blue-eyed boy.

She called her mother, 
and her mother did not answer. 
(But she did not expect her to.)

That evening she hid beneath 
a blanket with her dog and told stories
about the good times and the bad times
(but mostly the bad times, and how
now there would never have to be
bad times ever again).

Then she went to bed, heart lighter 
than light, winged with hope, 

and woke up crying.

1. turn on radio.

2. hear the the following lyrics: “She’s in the Class A Team/Stuck in her daydream/Been this way since 18/But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries”

3. turn off radio.

just because you can use a simile doesn’t mean you should.

NaNoWriMo Part 83

Things that have cropped up in both of my NaNo novels:

- Men with unusual tattoos.

- People throwing up on themselves.

- Characters that are far too sassy.

- “Brisk” air being mentioned approximately 30 times.

- Jerks wearing very little clothing.

- Good luck charms.

- Halloween.

- Fog as a plot point.

- Breakfast pastries.

person: hey, how’s it going?

me: i spend my life in a constant state of emotional turmoil, and every time you ask me a simple question i have to think back and wonder who i am at this moment. am i the happy face and the firm handshake, the slight nod of the head? am i the warm, understanding smile, the sympathetic ear? or am i just the person who invents different personas and fits a new face to every situation? you don’t really care how it’s going, and i don’t really care to tell you. your eyes are on mine, but you aren’t truly listening. what are you doing? what am i doing? where do we go from here?

me: …fine.

NaNoWriMo

what am i doing

how to word

help i can’t don’t even

do how type

okay

NaNo Club

Last year a couple of the other teachers and I ran a NaNoWriMo club twice a week after school. It was an interesting experience, and it looks like we’ll be doing it again this year!

I’m practically beside myself with excitement. Knowing that my middle schoolers are looking up to me as an example makes me all the more motivated to write. A couple of them know what my book is about and seem to think the the plot is cool. Likewise, a few have shared their ideas with me and I’m thoroughly impressed with their ingenuity.

I’ve been ironing out a lot of the minor details in my story. I know the basic plot arcs and how the story ends, but it’s all too easy to say “they become friends.” Well, okay, that’s nice. How?

Usually I’d bounce ideas off my mother, but I’m trying not to spoil the book for her so that when she reads it, it’ll be sort of exciting. Last year I was basically just like “Okay, what now? And then? How do yo think ______ should happen?”

NOW I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING MYSELF AND IT IS HARD AND I AM SAD AND ADMIRE MY WOES BECAUSE GOODNESS ME MY LIFE IS HARD OKAY IT IS GEEZE.

The Passage of Time

i don’t know how to make my novels last more than a couple of weeks. seriously. how are you supposed to indicate large chunks of time going by? new chapter = OKAY NOW IT IS WEEKS LATER AND ALL OF THIS STUFF HAS HAPPENED BUT YOU DON’T GET TO BE PRIVY TO IT.

guess this year’s novel will also take place over the course of a month!