Failure & Future

Well, it looks like I have failed at another NaNo event.  I know there are still two days left, and miracle word counts have happened.  But my plans include something other than winning a word count this month.  Through my failure I learned what I really want, or rather, what my first step is to getting where I want to go.

My goal is to make a living from my writing.  And I believe that when I complete my first adult book, finishing the next one will be easier.  I also believe that the right readers will be attracted to my work and news will spread.  However, I have tried time and again to finish this first novel that I'm talking about.  I have the story chosen and the plot mapped out, but the finish line seems ever in the future.

Last week a friend challenged me to finish any book I choose by Easter and she would carry it in her store.  As I pondered on finishing my novel for this challenge, I also knew that a goal so far away felt daunting to me.  I wanted something I could complete in a week.  I did some research on stories I had completed, half completed and of various genres.  Then it dawned on me what would work.  I had a children's ebook I had published almost two years ago.  I decided to make that one my first paper version.  I checked pricing at a local printing business and found out that printing my own work was going to be much simpler than I had thought.

So my task this weekend is to format my children's book Betty Butter into a version to send to the printers.  It's lacking a few illustrations.  The e-version has no illustrations but is also less expensive to purchase at only $1.99.  A fun recipe to make homemade butter at the end of the book makes up for the lack of illustrations in the digital version.  I feel that the printed version will not fair so well without the illustrations.

After the completion of this first paper printing project, I have a second story I will write about Betty Butter and print in e-format as well as paper printing.  These were small steps I could see myself completing without being overwhelmed.  And the anticipation of being able to say I have two books out before the New Year is a huge affirmation for me.  As I build my faith in myself, I know that novel will look easier and easier.

That's my plan.  I made a schedule this morning to show my purpose to myself and the universe as to how I'm managing my time in order to meet my goals.  I now feel confident that I will meet them and that God will be there to help me all along the way.  I know he will give me more than I ever dreamed and planned for. 

NaNoWriMo Time!

NaNoWriMo has started.  For those who have never heard of it, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month.  In the month of November writers all over the world take up the challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days.  This year I gave myself the challenge to write the first two books in the Stone House series, a series I thought of in March of this year.  Below is a picture idea for the cover along with a summary and an excerpt from Chapter 2 of the book.

Kate Galbraith and Stone House

Summary

Kate Galbraith's parents are both dead.  She alone is in charge of her two-year-old baby brother Jacob under the guardianship of their great uncle.  But how will she protect her brother when she finds out her great uncle is their most dangerous enemy?

After coming back from a walk on a dark, rainy day, Kate finds her great uncle and several other men in the house, talking in ominous tones about her and her little brother.  As she eavesdrops, she finds out they have already taken Jacob, and now they are coming after her.  Why?  What do they want with her?  Why did they take her brother?  But there is no time for questions as Kate races out of the house without even a coat against the coming winter cold.

As she begins her journey of escape toward the massive mountain of San Martine that stands behind Stone House like a shield, she doesn't know that she has been inside of her home for the last time in many years.  She's about to find out that the kidnapping of her baby brother is part of something much bigger than she is.

Excerpt from Chapter 2

     Kate ran until she felt like she was going to fall over from exhaustion.  Her lungs burned and the lacerations on her cheeks and hands from the branches that whipped her stung.  The cold air sapped her of the little strength she had left.  Within moments the dogs’ barks grew closer.  Kate pushed herself onward, not knowing how her legs were still able to obey her.  The ground beneath her continued to slope upward with every step.  Each breath came harder and more painful.  She was running for what felt like hours, even though it had been barely an hour since she had left the house.  Her feet were beginning to sink into snow now, leaving an obvious trail for her pursuers.  She ran faster and faster, but the faster she ran the faster they seemed to gain on her.  She broke out onto a small clearing in the wood, the black trees standing out starkly against the white snow, the gray clouds blocking out any light from the sun.  The rain still fell making each step slick and treacherous.

    As she ran out into the clearing, she rethought her path and figured it might be better to stay among the trees, but when she turned to go back, the dogs had broken into the clearing already.  She had nowhere to turn but straight forward.  Finally Kate’s tired legs gave out and tripped over a large rock.  She went down face first into the snow.  The dogs reached her in two bounds.  She held her breath, waiting for them to sink their teeth into her flesh.

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