NaNoWriMo 2016 Winner!!!

I did it! I won NaNoWriMo for the third year in a row! Of course, there's still a lot of work to do with my novel...but right now, who cares?

Boom-badda-boom!

80% Done

As of today, I've hit the 40,000 mark in my NaNoWriMo 2016 story. Granted, it's a bit junky and there are heaping piles of psychological information...but no matter!

To quote Matt Guion's "1,667 words" song: "As they say, editing is what December is for!"

Best of all, the story's really starting to come together and the characters are becoming more and more fleshed out, though I am starting to worry that I may have invented too many characters...

Big News!

I got a new job at Barnes & Noble! Yay!

Granted, it's only a seasonal job for now...but you never know. During today's orientation, we got introduced to a few high-ranking workers who started out as Christmas workers, and they really keep an eye on those people who "bust their butts" at the place.

This is a dream come true. For many years, I've talked about wanting to work at a place like Barnes & Noble or Deseret Book, or some other bookstore or library. I start full-time this Monday. They'll have me work only a few hours at first, only a few days at a time, and then as I get used to the routine, they'll have me stay longer more often. I'll have to work a Sunday or two, unfortunately...but as long as that doesn't happen too often, I guess I can live with that. A few of my own friends and family have jobs that require them to work some Sundays, too. I suppose you can always maintain that Sunday attitude, and I can still listen to hymns and do my own scripture study at home.

I'm thrilled and scared to death, and a little sad about leaving my old job at Deseret Industries. I always knew my DI job wouldn't be permanent, just like how I knew college wouldn't be permanent...but you just get used to the routine, you know?

Oh, well. They say you get stagnant if you're stuck in the same place for too long. And maybe, in a way, being nervous is a good thing; it means you're aware that it's a big deal and you treat it as such.

My family's plenty proud of me, and tonight, we celebrated my success with a scrumptious Sizzler dinner. I can still taste that lobster, medium-rare steak, fat fries, hot rolls (they give you all the rolls you can eat), raspberry lemonade, and chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

Grimm's Fairy Tales

I'm a big sucker for fairy tales and magic stuff. More than half of my personal writing projects are fantasy. So when I saw this book today, I squealed like a little girl and prayed the thing would still be there when I got off work. (It was a good thing I had some money handy.)

This thing is THICK, and it cost me $2.00 when most books cost 50 or 75 cents. I know you can get the Grimm tales pretty much anywhere these days, but it's still pretty cool to see all of them bound together in a volume as sweet and slick as this!

NaNoWriMo Progress

This is my third year participating in NaNoWriMo, and so far I'm making great progress. I've already written 10,200 words in just five days...though the quality leaves a lot to be desired.

Still, it's good practice to focus on just getting the story down on paper and then fixing it up to your heart's content.

My Christmas Carol - Page 1

Well, here it is, my first completed page of Dickens's Yuletide parable. Not too shabby for part one, eh?