NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 19

Today's short writing segment in Kathleen's story is inspired by Glasgow's excellent Museum of Transport, which I love. And which has apparently changed its name and its venue since I was last there. Sigh. (Not that you get to see much of today's writing segment.) Project #2 is rolling right along and provided me with the bulk of today's words.

First sentence: “It’s been on my list for ages, it’s just never happened,” she said.

Last sentence: “If I’d known it was that easy to get your face to light up like that, I’d ahve taken you on a whirlwind tour of every museum in town the day we met.”

Today's word count: 2191

Total word count: 20,608

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 18

So today is the day I go rogue. I'm going to give Kathleen at least a couple of pages every day, just to see if something exciting happens, and it's her first and last sentences (ish-- or entire lines) that I'll keep bringing to you. But I also have another project that I'll be continuing at the same time, since I have ideas for that one and may make some real progress in the final two weeks of November.

First sentence: She had a text from Dom when she got home asking if she wanted to go out for coffee.

Last sentence: “What? Theatrical blasphemy! We have to fix that immediately,” he said.

Today's word count: 1182

Total word count: 18,417

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 17

Today I managed one paragraph (well, a paragraph plus one sentence), and I only did that because I didn't want to ruin my update-every-day streak I have going with my word count. So, you get the paragraph in its entirety, because why not?

Naomi summoned the team before the end of the day, as promised, and announced that Brad was moivng to another department. Kathleen was impressed that though her team did not manage to hide their happiness, they did at least keep themselves from outright cheering. If she hadn’t had warning that this was going to happen, she wasn’t sure she could have kept herself from being visibly delighted. However, Naomi did not give them any otehr details, so Kathleen had to go home that evening not knowing who her next supervisor would be.

She was prepared to live with the suspense.

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 16

I'm on the verge of going NaNo-rebel and working on two things at once. And yet, for now we continue with the adventures of the plotless Kathleen.

First sentence: “I’m not sure that’s necessary,” Brad said.

Last sentence: Although she suspected tha this coffee-making skills were also atrocious.

Today's word count: 659

Total word count: 17,135

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 15

First sentence: Kathleen nodded to save her breath, and found it was a bit harder to keep going during the second half of the run.

Last sentence: Maybe she could get someone her team could feel comfortable with this time.

Today's word count: 2256 (That's more like it!)

Total word count: 16,476 (... but I'm still over 8000 words behind.)

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 14

First sentence: “Waiting for a bus that I’m not going to take is my favourite thing,” Dom said.

Last sentence: “I won’t try to speed up or anyting, we’ll just hold this pace all the way to the end if we can.”

Today's word count: 1794

Total word count: 14,220

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 13

Oh, Paris. I definitely prefer the fanfiction where everyone is happy and in love to this reality that has been committed within that beautiful city. All my thoughts are with you, even as I'm trying to NaNo.

First sentence: “Really? Can I see it?” he asked.

Last sentence: “Waiting alone sucks.”

Today's word count: 230

Total word count: 12,426

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 12

Took longer than usual
to get to Les Mis. I must
be losing what was left
of my mind.

First sentence: She stopped walking.

Last sentence: “Ten years of my lfie carefully documented, now downloaded onto a thumb drive that’s tucked in the back of a drawer never to see the light of day again.”

Bonus round: Managed to work in a Les Misérables reference today.

Today's word count: 1752: First on-par day I've managed since the first weekend.

Total word count: 12,196

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 11

Today's words were entirely bus written, because this evening I went to see the Kinky Boots tour, which is fabulous and you should definitely go see it.

First sentence: She had a small cooler filled with snacks, sodas, and an ice pack, since her arm was still swollen past its usual size.

Last sentence: "It's Titus Andronicus," he said.

Today's word count: 402

Total word count: 10,444

Remembrance Day

I woke up this morning thinking that everyone was posting early for Remembrance Day before I finally got the date worked out in my head.

Source: Ali Taylor on
freeimages.com.

It still amazes me when I run into Americans who don't know about poppies or why other countries wear them. I don't know about everyone else, but I learned about the poppy tradition in high school (although U.S. veterans' groups that make and sell poppies usually do so around Memorial Day in May--but still, they do it). So I'm a bit sad to hear about the debate raging in the UK about the expectation that one must wear a poppy. As with so many other things, this is a personal decision about which different people will of course reach different conclusions, and it's a shame that it's become a battleground.

As it happens, "In Flanders Fields," while beautiful, is far from the only poem written about WWI. You can read several of them here, but the one I'm particularly touched by this Remembrance Day is "For the Fallen," which includes this beautiful verse:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

 May you and yours be blessed this Remembrance Day.

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 10

First sentence: The run-in with Brad came sooner than expected, as he appeared at her desk he second she put the phone down.

Last sentence: She reflected on teh trip that she probably had an unhealthy addiction to public transportation.

Today's word count: 1161

Total word count: 10,042

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 9

First sentence: “Very true.”

Last sentence: She would set an example for the team of how to do this right if it killed her.

Bonus round of most typos in a row: She hoped none of her taem was veelind estra-vulunerable that day.

Today's word count: 555

Total word count: 8881

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 8

First sentence: Kathleen gave her a treat, which also did not produce any excitement, so she gave up on making hte cat like her and instead went hunting for some medication.

Last sentence: “It makes it easy to get them to do their besa, but is not always fun to watch.”

Today's word count: 1221

Total word count: 8326

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 7

Yes, I missed a day of updating. I did write a few words on day 6, but nothing to get excited about. So, let's instead get a bit more excited for day 7:

First sentence: “Okay, obviously, or you wouldn’t be asking.”

Last sentence: She arrived home to the consternation of Jellylorum, who was napping on the couch and didn’t seem excited about waking up.

Today's word count: 1095

Total word count: 7105

Fun Runs: Dos & Don'ts for a Great Race

This weekend is the Race for the Cure in Austin and it's that time for year all over for holiday fun runs, which are awesome. These events are great for runners and non-runners alike to have some fun with family and friends, maybe meet a goal, and mix up the holiday season. However, there is a prescribed etiquette for races, fun or otherwise, and it's not good to ignore it. Here's what you need to know before you head for the start line:

1. Slower participants start at the back. No exceptions!

This was my 52nd race in 8 years. Do
you see where I'm standing? That's
what you should do, too, unless
you're a speed demon.

This is so important, I'll say it one more time: Fast people get the front of the start area. Slow people get the back. Why? Because the fast people might just trample any slow people in their way, and the slow people will almost certainly frustrate the life out of the fast people. Remember, however relaxed and laid-back this event may be for you, others in the crowd will be using it to get a serious workout or try to beat a previous time. Trust me, we are slightly crazy when we're in that mode. You get in front of us at your peril.

If you're walking, go to the back of the crowd at the start, no matter what your friend says about how she started at the front last year and everyone just went around her and it was no big deal. And-- I can't stress this enough-- no matter what time you arrived. Please don't come to the race an hour early just so you can be up front.

Not sure if you're a fast runner or not? Here's a good way to find out: If your running friends who you usually train with are at the front, go ahead. In all other circumstances, including if you don't train at all, move back. If your race has signs with your expected pace, LINE UP THERE. Seriously.

2. Please do not form a human wall.
Walking two abreast is fine. Three abreast is sketchy. More than three abreast, and you've become a roadblock. Don't do it! It's great that your family is all walking together as a group, but you need to arrange yourselves so that every other person on the course doesn't have to squeeze through the tiny gap you left them out the side.

On the same note, please be aware of the space between you and other groups on the road. If you are walking three abreast and you happen to fall in step with another group that's also walking three abreast, the same problem ensues. If people are yelling "Excuse me!" a lot or you get brushed by more than one sweaty arm, it's time to re-think your position.

3. Do not, do not, do not stop in the middle of the pack.
Feeling a cramp? Screaming baby in your jogging stroller? Just tired and need to walk? That's fine. Pull over to the side, make sure that no one is directly behind you, and then stop. Alternatively, you can tuck in behind another walker if you just need to take a breather. Whichever one you choose, know that stopping dead in the middle of the road is a recipe for someone running into you. And I promise, no matter what kind of distress your baby is in, there is no universe in which stopping so that runners can knock into the stroller and send you both flying is a better situation. Take a few seconds to get out of the road.

4. Be kind!
Remember, whether it's your first race or your fiftieth, there will be people who don't know about race etiquette and it won't even have occurred to them that they need to look it up before heading out. Reserve your patience for those people, and if you must say something, do so as kindly as possible. Do your part to make sure everyone has a great race. And be sure to thank all the volunteers and race officials that you see, including the police officers directing traffic. They're out there working hard so you can have a great experience!

And one last thing...
There are some experienced runners who make a big deal out of not wearing the event t-shirt to the event. On the one hand, "nothing new on race day" is a good principle to live by-- when you put on new clothes for the event, you run the risk of chafing since you don't yet know how it will fit/rub/feel after three miles. So that's a good reason not to wear the event shirt. All other reasons people throw out-- well, what you choose to wear is none of anyone's business. I've known experienced runners, people who are age group winners and Boston qualifiers, to wear the race shirt to the race. If that's what you want to do, go right ahead. If other people wearing the event shirt bothers you so much, maybe run faster so you're too tired to care.

Are you running or walking a fun run this holiday season? Where and when?

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 5

I wish I could have worked in a Guy Fawkes joke today, but alas, it's only September in my novel.

First sentence: “Do you think you can guide us to a table, then?” Clara asked.

Last sentence: “Do we have a first aid kit?” she asked without even bothering to say hello.

Today's word count: 464

Total word count: 5897

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 4

First sentence: “Yeah, about that.”

Last sentence: “I wish I could deny either of those allegations, but I”m afraid it’s completely true that I”m brilliant at my job,” Dom said.

Today's word count: 242 (Yeah, not a good day.)

Total word count: 5433

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 3

In case anyone forgot this year's
unofficial motto of NaNoWriMo

First sentence: “Story of my life,” Kim said. “Well part of the story.”

Last sentence: “It’s just that we’ll never hear the end of it from Clara if we act liek we’re hitting it off that well.”

Today's word count: 1518

Total word count: 5091

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 2

(Remember, this series is as-is, typos and all!)

First sentence: Obviously, her own teachers had been interested in making sure she was ready for a world of red pencils and morons.

Last sentence: "You don’t want something so unusual that you can never find gifts with your name on it, but not so common that your nickname is practiaclly ‘No, the other one, not that one.’"

Today's word count: 1669

Total word count: 3673

NaNoWriMo 2015: Day 1

First sentence: Kathleen Mitchell was already on her third coffee spill of the day, and was about to ask if four meant she could go home.

Last sentence: Kathleen didn’t understand how some of her coworkers had graduated from high school, let alone college.