Tell the Truth Tuesday

Here are some of my truths today:

1- I'm scared of the dark. I hate having to get up at night and do anything because I always think there's someone hiding in the shadows, waiting to get me.

2- Nightmares stink. Unless they spur an idea for a book. Unfortunately, the nightmare I had last night didn't spur an idea for a book, it was just plain awful. Basically there were two gigantic snakes, and one of them ended up attacking my mom and trying to kill her. Yeah, not a good idea for a book.

3- I totally failed at NaNo this year. I kind of knew I shouldn't sign up, because there was just too much going on to dedicate myself to it, but I did anyway. And now I'm a failure. Bummer.

3- On the bright side, I did manage to run my Thanksgiving Day Human Race and get my Thanksgiving dinner on the table last week (I hosted my whole family). My 6-yr-old ended up running it with us (and my husband had to push the other two kids in the stroller because our babysitter bugged out on us at the last minute). But he did great! He actually would have placed 11th in his age division if we'd had a bib for him. I was a proud Mama.

4- Baby weight stinks to get rid of, not to mention what it does to the skin on your belly. In a totally unrelated thought, does anyone else think that Mariah Carey had a tummy tuck? Because I saw the picture of her saying, "look at how skinny I am now after twins" or something like that on the cover of People, and her belly button didn't look too natural anymore. I'm just sayin'...

5- When SHH is out of town for work, I have a hard time wanting to make "real" meals for dinner. Or breakfast. Or any meal for that matter. It's just so much work when I only seem to have a 50/50 chance that my kids will actually eat more than 3 bites. (Their appetites come and go faster than a Black Friday deal at Wal Mart.) But I'm actually making a full on meal today--the best chicken pot pie recipe ever, jello salad, dessert, the whole works. My truth is that it's not really for my family, it's for a neighbor. I'm just doubling the recipe for our dinner, because it would be really lame to make it for someone else and not get to eat it myself.

What are your truths today? Lay 'em on me -- success, failure, whatever it may be.

Friday Four or Five: the late edition

1. First of all, Sarah Allen has yet to claim her prize (an ecopy of BECOME). If she doesn't email or comment with her email by Sunday night, I will pick a new winner and announce him/her on Monday.

2. Here's the deal. I love movies. I love movie soundtracks. I listen to original scores all the time while writing. I picture my books playing out like movies in my head at night (and when I'm writing, too). When I read, I visualize scenes like a movie in my mind. So, when people make books into movies, I'm all "yay!" Unless I see the movie and they destroy it. Ahem, HP6, ahem. (And many others...) But then, there are books that were just so, um,... yeah... to begin with, that the movie is all messed up before it ever had a chance.

3. I may have seen Breaking Dawn last night. I might have laughed. A lot. Sometimes it was supposed to be funny (why can't her dad and Alice be in every scene??); sometimes... not so much. (There was this one scene with the wolf pack, and loud booming voices and laughter--except that part was coming from me and my sisters and my mom and my friends.) (Or that other part where a certain baby and wolf make eye contact and heavenly choirs begin to sing of imprinting and the whole theater was laughing.) But, don't take my word for it. Lots of people seemed to like the movie a lot. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood.

4. Wanna know what movie based on a book looks like they nailed it? The Hunger Games. I've watched that preview multiple times, and it makes me get teary-eyed every time. "I volunteer!" Oh baby, I can't wait for that one! I was really hoping they'd show that preview last night, but alas...

5. I just read an awesome book this week, that you'll get to hear more about soon (maybe even on Monday). I love reading awesome books. Now, if only I could write one... Have I mentioned that NaNo isn't going so well? Sigh.

So, what's on your mind this week?

Monday Motivation

NaNoWriMo. (National Novel Writing Month.)

I haven't ever done it before. I'm a pretty fast writer, so I've honestly never felt the need to try and force myself to get a book done in a month. When inspiration hits, I can whip out a book in 4-5 weeks. Not always, but sometimes.

But this time, I decided to bite the bullet and do it. Why? Because I'm in a bit of a slump. I have a new idea, but I'm having a hard time making myself find the time to write. Maybe it's because SHH is traveling so much, so I don't have help with the kids at night so I can write like I used to. And by the time I get them all to bed and could write, I am so worn out emotionally and physically from not getting a break, I can barely find the energy and motivation to get myself ready for bed and try to read a book, let alone write one.

But, my goal is for this to be a career. So I'm treating it like one, and making myself put in the time. Signing up for NaNo was my way of trying to get myself to do it this month. I got off to a good start, but had a crazy weekend and now I'm behind. I'll keep going though, and hopefully I'll at least hit the 50k, if not finish the entire novel.

How about you? Are you doing NaNo? How do you make yourself stay motivated and moving forward when you're overwhelmed and exhausted?

NoWayMo

November is a month that everyone looks forward to and yet dreads at the same time. Nope, not because you have less than sixty days until Christmas--because it's the month of NaNoWriMo. (National Novel Writing Month)

For two years in a row, I've wanted to participate, but unfortunately both times I haven't been in a place to start a new book. Hence, this year I am participating in "NoWayMo" in which I am strong and resist joining in NaNoWriMo. No matter how much I'd love to.

I do want to wish everyone participating good luck and can't wait to hear how it goes! I will still be working on a new, fun WIP I've been playing around with off and on, and continuing to work with my agent on a few projects. I already know what I'm asking Santa for this year... if I haven't already gotten it by Christmas. *wink*

What are your plans this month? Are you joining in the madness of NaNoWriMo? Or are you working on other things?

Also, don't forget you have until Friday at midnight to enter my contest to win your choice of prizes! Click here to see the details.

Happy November everyone!