Accepting the NaNoWriMo Challenge!

I’m biting the bullet and committing to NaNoWriMo this year! It's a challenge to write 50,000 during the month of November. Why? Because I’ve been finding other things to do and neglecting my writing. That’s kind of like a bow hunter neglecting target practice, or a pianist who never plays. Also because my better half encouraged me to do it. I’m already behind because it took me all day on November 1 to decide to commit. Now I have to come up with a topic, title, genre, a project of some sort. I’ve already begun outlining a cookbook, but recipes do not lend themselves very well to busting out a lot of words in one day. They are going to be mundane, technical, and take a lot of proofreading, so the cookbook is probably not going to be on this list. This blog might benefit from NaNoWriMo, but I get stumped on topics there as well. What to do? What to do?

Perhaps I could be like those song lyrics I detest, you know the ones that use nonsense to fill in measures instead of filling them in with something of value.

Lalalalalala….

Ohooo, oho, ohhhhh …

Hey, hey. he-e-ey …..

You get the drift. I feel that is just like adding blank or lined “journal pages,” or decreasing the page dimensions or increasing margin size in the hopes of gaining a greater page count. It’s all junk. As one friend once reported, “Garbage, no matter how it’s presented, is still garbage.” I think he used stronger wording than that, but it means the same thing.

So here I sit, baffled by the commitment I have just made. How do I begin? The cookbook is out for this month’s project. However, I will still be open to collecting and researching recipes. After all, cooking is my “what to do when I don’t know what else to do” tactic. It’s an escape that gets credit for being productive, because others benefit from it. They get to eat the fruits of my procrastination.

Fiction? I’m still sitting on my novel – afraid to publish it. I know I can write short stories, but I would have to write several to fill the word count. Do I have another novel idea? Perhaps.

Non-fiction? It’s what I know best. I’ve still got projects that need completion. And I have yet to write “Soup is not a Meal.” It’s about misconceptions and unrealistic expectations between men and women as they pertain to or are experienced in marriage. I’ve had my share of research on this topic over the years.

However, “Soup is Not a Meal,” may also lend itself well to fiction. I’m pondering on that one. Humorous? Clean. Does it lift and inspire others? Lifting and inspiring is one of the reasons I write. If it isn’t worth reading, then it probably isn’t worth writing and it definitely isn’t worth sharing with the world. That’s my opinion, anyhow, and it has evolved over the years.

So, … I want to write something worthwhile to lift, edify, inspire or motivate others. I’m going to sleep on it and hopefully, by morning I will have a plan. At least a starting point. That’s what I’m doing right now, is it not? Starting?

No more looking at a blank screen or baking before writing. I’ve got some work to do and mornings shall be my time to do it – after breakfast and scripture study, but before exercise. Perhaps the scripture study prior to writing will help me stay on track with my purpose – to uplift, inspire, and motivate.

I've just shared my first 600 words with you. And away we go!

If you would like to join me in this NaNoWriMo quest, it's not too late. Here is the link to sign up. https://nanowrimo.org/

I'll try to keep you posted on my progress throughout the month, but I may be too busy writing, or baking!

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

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