NaNoPrep Moving Along

With less than a week to go, I have most of my prep done for NaNoWriMo. Here's what's completed:

• Plots determined
• Twists (if characters let it happen that way)
• Characters 
• Character relationships (though they may change my mind)
• Places described and arranged  
• Title and title to the series (at least I think)
• Started writing 2000 word daily
• Aeon timeline set up
• Scrivener set up
• Calendar set and marked for all the writathons
• Word count meters setup 

This week has been good and hoping that this next week I need to get more done. I have most of my housework (Fall Cleaning) done. That is always a must before November and NaNoWriMo gives me that extra push.
SO, here is what has been done in my house:

• Scrubbed all floors on hands and knees
• Cleaned washer 
• Removed all lint from dryer vent
• Washed every dish in the house with soapy bleach water
• Wiped out cupboards
• Scrubbed & disinfected bathroom
• Vacuumed all carpet twice
• Washed rugs, curtains and bedding (I do bedding every other week though)
• Wiped all light switches and door knobs with Clorox wipes
• Dusted everything (picture frames included)
• Cleaned frig and freezer (inside & out)
• Cleaned microwave and oven
• Cleaned inside windows
• Re-arranged the living room for winter

There! See I have been very busy. Now on the 3rd I'll do my monthly grocery shopping and then prepare freezer meals for the month. Oh! And make NaNo snacks. @GetWordies has tons of meals, freezer meals and snackies on their blog and on Pinterest.  With 25 meals prepped and ready my kids can just toss them in the microwave, crockpot, or slap together a salad or sandmich. I think freezer meals were invented for NaNoWriMo. 

Kids will get their rooms done in the next few days so the whole house will be done before the 1st!

As for writing, I started what was to be an adult novella. It seems to be turning into a YA that will link with the series I'm working on. Don't know how that happened but it did. That one will be call 'Sara' I think. Maybe "Sara's Coming of Age". I guess I'll figure it out later.

Reality Sucks

Over the last few weeks my life has taken a turn for the worst. Income has decreased and I'm behind on bills now. I just caught them up. And of course the teens in my house are being teens.

My depression state is trying to inch it's way back into my life. My house is a mess and too slowly getting cleaned. Then of course we have NaNoWriMo coming up and research is getting behind. I have the kitchen done and hoping it stays that way with the kids.

Slow-cooker freezer meals for the month are ready to assemble. 20 peppers of all colors, 10 onions and mushrooms sliced, diced and chopped. TIP: If you put your onions in the freezer for 10 minutes of frig for 3 hours, the element that makes us tear is less effective. Dinner is taken care of for tonight. Now if I can keep up this pace all week, I will be good.

My boy finally got his wisdom teeth pulled this last week. He thought it was gonna be easy with no pain... He now knows different. Lesson learned...Mom is always right. Ha Ha Ha!!!!

A good thing that has happened this last month....
My ex bought our son his 1st reliable car, fixed the few things on it and took care of his senior pictures(clothes too). This is the first time in 13 years he did anything for my boy. Now we have a reliable car and a broken down van.  Wish a 'Fix the Van' fairy would visit. I hate not being able to just up and leave. My son takes his car to school along with his sister.

I now have my days and nights fixed. Lets see how long that lasts. Probably til November when I do NaNoWriMo. 50k words in 30 days is gonna be crazy but I did it last year and I will do it again.

What to do With Loss

As children we make friends; some life-long and some short term. As we get older we reconnect with many through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. As an aspiring writer, I have found that long ago friends can help in my process of my writing.

Daveiy back in the day

Yesterday I loss a life-long friend that has been in and out of my life for more than 30 years. He was strong, kind, caring, and always optimistic. When we were teenagers he was considered scary and would fight to protect his friends and family. Always with the law involved in his life because of his caring. Many thought he was a bad influence, to me he was a savior to many. He brought me through many writer's block this last 2 years. With him gone it has inspired another character. We all take loss of a friend or family member differently. Some of us cry, some loose themselves, and some look to the happy moments. I find a character. Is this strange? Maybe, but I don't care; Daveiy will live on in one of my characters and that is how I will morn.

Daveiy this year with his beloved puppy!

I am just starting out as a writer and I hope I can manage to do Daveiy proud as I develop his character. As I write my love and loss of him shall live on. His memory shall be kept forever in my words.