The Agony and the Irony

... or how not to start National Novel Writing Month.

I've attempted to win at NaNoWriMo twice before, with the same sad results. I always start out with the best of intentions. I do all the prep work. I get excited. And then life happens and my word count suffers.

This year, I decided it was going to be different. Yes, I have book events and school visits scheduled. Yes, my dear husband has the travel schedule from Hell this month. But I figured out on paper that it was still possible to do this, so I sat my family down and explained we were headed into No Nonsense November (because, yanno, alliteration made it sound more serious.) Everyone had to pull their own weight. No messes would be tolerated. I would be unavailable for anything but the most dire emergencies.

And then.

The edit notes for the first two books in my middle grade series arrived. OK. Fine. No reason to dump the writing goals completely. I decided I could make this a sort of NaNoEdMo, and if I finished the edits quickly enough, I could dive into my new super sekrit project.

Just in time for the prep weekend, when my goal was to have all housework and laundry caught up so I could get lost in the intense writing on Monday, I strained my wrist at the gym lifting weights. I now sport a super-stylish wrist brace and I have to take frequent breaks from the computer when my wrist starts to ache. No biggie. I have pen and paper. When I can't type, I can write longhand.

Not satisfied with my continued drive, the Fates conspired, and this afternoon, whilst preparing my favorite gotta-have-it-when-I'm-writing drink (Diet Coke in a cup of crushed ice with a splash of Cherry Coke Zero and a squeeze of lime), I sliced my finger open. The irony is that I was just thinking as I pressed the blade to the skin of the lime that the knife was getting dull and I should probably sharpen in. I pressed harder. The knife slipped. It is not dull.

So I'm typing mostly one-handed now. The good thing is that the bleeding stopped before I passed out. (I hate the sight of my own blood.) Plus - bonus - my throbbing finger now distracts from my aching wrist.

It's all about the silver linings...

Happy goal-reaching this month, everyone!

P.S. If you haven't already - get out and vote!