Well, I have picked a new hobby. It's called NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. It really is a great idea, particularily if you want to write a book like I do. It's not a big book, just 50,000 words to write between November 1st and November 30th. That's 2,000 words which is like writing a 2 page paper every day the next month. It's not going be easy, but it's going to be fun!

For me, I get to work on a novel that I've been trying to nail down for a long time. This madcap method of finishing things off is just what I need. Also, It's not like I haven't done something like it before! When I was in Germany, a month long expedition, I carried around a 70 page journal for writing my book in. I finished the volume by the end of the month. Another time, I wrote a book that I called Ocean Pacific. It wasn't a great book, but NaNoWriMo doesn't require it to be good. It's about 90 pages now, probably around 80 when I first finished it, and I wrote most of it within the space of three months. In fact, they say that some romance writers will frequently turn out a novel a month, so it's just not me or me three years ago that could do it! That's not even tapping the number of "winners" in NaNoWriMo every year.

Also, I get a chance to answer questions about writing, on the forums. I love helping people with their writing. I guess that's why sometimes I don't understand why other people are so scared to critique! This is the reason why I've been spending a ton of time writing on the forums lately. Right now, everyone is looking for ideas, so I've been trying to brainstorm. That is the most fun part really. Even if they don't use a single one of your ideas, at least you've been a PART of it. Also, on the flip side, I get a chance to have other people to brainstorm ideas for me. I mean how cool is that? I don't know about you, but I don't think there's any shame in picking up a good idea that no one's using. Having people work on giving them to you... well that's one of the best gifts ever!

Being a part of something is also good. I'm going to still go snowshoing and start volunteering and stuff, too. Those things can fill that need to struggle through something with other cool people, but you know what? I'm not that GOOD at those things! It's funny, when you're sitting all by yourself, typing away, it's not the same as being lonely. Something inside of you, it fills up instead of draining out. That goblin on your shoulder that is your inner critic, it finally turns off and you are sitting there pouring, out of an endless font, image after image into a 12" screen and a tiny labtop keyboard, saying quietly to the world, "I'm here, I'm here." On top of that, knowing, even if you never get your book published, even if it lies on your desktop, a constant reminder that you really hate editing, you'll know that during November, there are hundreds of other people out there hunched over their computers doing the exact same thing, worrying about the exact same problems that you are and when you get to the end of the month, when you get to the 50,000 word mark, you can clap each other on the back and say, "Hell yeah."

So to make a long story short: Join NaNoWriMo! It's going to be a lot of fun and I could always use more writing buddies ^_^

Edit: Sorry, I realized I didn't put up any of the important info! This is the website: NaNoWriMo.org. It's available internationally as well as nationally, so anyone can join ^_^.

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So I went to bible study tonight and it turned out pretty well. An interesting story that I thought I'd share. We were talking about what was for dinner. I said that I had actually been eating downstairs in the Hill kitchen (with my new TV pot/pan in which I can make all the spaghetti I want!). They asked if a lot of people used it.

They don't, I told them. It's open to everyone, and it's right on the right when you come in, but the thing is that it has a lock on the door and the door is usually closed. In fact, I didn't even realize that it was there until my third week of school. There it was, the door wide open and I thought, "It's a kitchen!" and I've been using it ever since.

Well, after we got back on topic and were talking about who was "In Christ" and who wasn't, one of my bible study members sits up and says, "You know, it's kind of like your kitchen. Some people think that it's locked and some people don't even really realize that it's there, but it's really open for everyone to use!"

That, we agreed, was very insightful.

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I tripped over my dog today. Normally I can avoid her, mostly because I look at her wherever I go. But today I forgot, as I am known to do, and I was walking through the dark and tripped full over my black dog. She yelped, planted straight into the floor, my hands and then my neck flopping around and then next thing I remember I had put my dog in my lap, holding her tight say "Sorry, Sorry! Oh my baby, sorry Maggie! Are you okay?"

I'm a softie for that dog.

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It disappeared. I deleted it. I was sad. :(. Apparently it went off until like two months ago and now it's back! Hurray!!

Chugworth. It is a little crude, but it's a lot random which = a whole lot of fun ^_^. Plus! That kid knows how to draw!

Life's good. ^_^

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Well, this is my attempt at drawing and inking. I took a picture called the Merry Violinist that we saw in Spain.

Here:

Compared with my lineart I made of it. :( I'll get better...

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Let me introduce you to my art project. Their names are Moby Dick and Queequeg, called such because everyone thought they were whales. I don't think they look like whales, I never thought they looked like whales, but I guess they could be whales. The thing is that the whales look a lot crappier than the sparrows do. The sparrows look like they're going to vomit, albeit, but that's kinda what I was going for. Everyone still insists that they see whales. Here's a pick, let Nutang decide!

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