NaNoWriMo is coming to an end. How did you do? Did you win? Get close?
I was going to work on my novella during November, but it didn't happen. I don't know if you remember last year when I was purging paper and clearing my basement of the boxes of paper that I had kept for years and years. While I was down there I found a box of unfinished projects and among the myriad things in that box was a Utah Jazz quilt that I'd started for my oldest son in 1998. The Jazz had won the Western conference and were in the finals and I'd gotten all the materials to make my Jazz fan a quilt. When I pulled it out of the box, I showed it to my son and he asked me to finish it for him.
Now, if you know me, you know that crafting, sewing, quilting, are all things I'm not good at. I don't even know why I started the quilt so many years ago because even as I look at it, it looks like a drunken sailor sewed the seams. But he asked me with such sincerity that I couldn't refuse. So I have been picking out seams and piecing together this very old quilt. It's my son's birthday this week and I really want to finish it for him.
Quilting is hard. I don't think I've ever said the word crap so many times in my life. This will be my first quilt ever and it's a steep learning curve, especially since I have to work with what I had from 1998. (The old colors, etc.) But it's almost done and I'm proud of myself. No, it's not perfect, but it is a gift of love that I hope my son will cherish for a long time even with all it's imperfections.
So that's what I've been doing this month. (Besides reading a few books, including this awesome manuscript a close friend sent me to read!) It's been a nice break from writing, one that I didn't realize I needed. I know when I come back to it, I'll be better for it. (Maybe one of these days I'll post a picture of this quilt. Maybe.)
I'm an award-winning romantic suspense novelist, but in my free time I love to review books and my fave TV shows, as well as pass along great book deals, and eat Canadian chocolate---not necessarily in that order.
3 comments:
I didn't do NaNo this year either. I had another book I was finishing--which I did!!!! Yay!
I completed only one quilt in my life, and that was while I was pregnant with my first child. It was a very small quilt, and extremely simple. The thought of giving that much time to another quilt, no matter the size, isn't something I'm willing to do since I've started writing. I do time-share with my drawing board, though. Sometimes with cleaning, too.
Happy Thanksgiving!
An awesome manuscript? *goosebumps*
I set my goal for 40,000 words for nano because I write middle grade. On Friday I'll finish up with the final 2,000 words! I've never written a manuscript this fast. I doubt I ever will again. I finally managed to embrace all the telling and long dialogue exchanges. There isn't a deadline for the editing. It was good to just get through the rough draft and, since I outlined, I know the plot is solid.
I made a quilt when I was a teenager for my personal progress. I still have it. It's pretty small, crib size, but I loved using it for my babies. Now it's packed away for when my babies have kids.
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