channeling Mark Twain (an update)

“The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” I have been busy with working the 9-to-5, teaching part-time at a college, and finishing/editing my novel. My deadline is the end of May and I so look forward to June.

June 1 is my birthday and I plan on celebrating life and me everyday throughout the month. I also plan on including you, my loyal and voyeuristic reader, in the celebration. I will be posting everyday. That’s right. Every. Stinking. Day.

I’m not sure that I have that many interesting things to say but I will attempt to share anything of significance each of my days in June. Stay tuned.

50,000 words or somewhere thereabout

My first NaNoWriMo comes to a close today. I feel like I should have some kind of an article to commemorate the experience – the long hours of staring at the same sentence, the sleepless nights, the writer’s block. Come to think of it – I do. I have a great start to an exciting novel. Notice I said start.

some people have real problems

A week has come and gone since I began my humble participation in NaNoWriMo. I’ve confirmed what I already knew. Writing a novel is hard work. I love writing… but 30 days might as well be one weekend. It didn’t help matters when one of my writing buddies revealed her word count to be four times mine after a few days.

Quandra is a great writer and all – Actually she’s awesome. I’ve read her first bit and I’m sold – but I invited her to participate. She just comes in and takes over with her fancy 11,000+ start. And then there is Sylvia. Ms. Super-Writer-Director-Renaissance-Woman quietly doubled her word count in a matter of days making the above-11k mark where the real cool people hang out. James is MIA as he’s been on vacation for a week. A whole week. He’s the genius who told me about NaNoWriMo in the first place. He hasn’t shared his word count so he’s probably halfway done by now. (sigh) My friends have unknowingly taken it from friends-supporting-one-another to some kind of writing-smackdown-competition. Quandra, James, and Sylvia, I love you, think you’re great writers, and support you to the end. And now I will destroy you.

Friendly like. Of course I’m kidding. Kind of.

running with a sharp pencil

Today is Saturday, November 1, the first day of National Novel Writers Month (NaNoWriMo). Today is the also likely the beginning of the end of my sanity as I know it. For you see, today I start writing a novel. 50,000 words. In 30 days.

In participation of NaNoWriMo, I have publicly declared and committed to attempt to write a novel in 30 days and share my progress and word count with the world (see the counter on the right). I’m not sure what that looks like but I am nervously starting with a great idea, some semblance of a plot, and no outline. I ask for your encouragement, prayers, advice, free meals, and sympathy. Stay tuned.

National Novel Writers Month

acting up

A couple of weeks ago, I broke my sabbatical from being a celebrated Hollywood actor (sarcasm) to assist my employer in producing a viral video for promotion and marketing. We did several dozen takes and most of the really good stuff was cut but I had an opportunity to see the rough cut (no music or sound effects) today. We will premiere it next week to a bunch of local ad agencies and then I will be able to share it with you. Stay tuned…

happy birthday, Lyn Thomas!! or (I’m sorry I forgot)

Sunday, September 28, 2008 I was busy working on a short film with a few of my co-workers. Over 70 takes and 10 hours later, we finished what I will share with you in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, my brain was completely unaware of the fact that it was forgetting one of my best friends in the whole wide world and her birthday. UGH!!! I never forget birthdays… until now.

Four score and one year ago… er… I mean… Four decades and a year ago, Ms. Lyn Thomas was born to a world that would not be the same once she learned how to talk and teach others that she was fabulous and that everyone else should know. Lyn is an educator and intellectual, she is a single parent and supermom of two boys, she stands 6 feet tall and is even taller in presence, she is an artist and a writer, and because of her mixed heritage, she refers to herself as a half-breed. I would like to openly apologize for my tardy wish and publicly express to Lyn, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!