5hmoo

I'm fine with almost any mistake the scientists, engineers, interns, etc. make in their writing. That's what I'm here for--to fix what they've written so it makes sense and is grammatically correct. Admittedly, I can't always understand how they could NOT know some of the more basic grammar rules, but they probably wonder how I've come this far without knowing the basics of their skillsets. What torques my shorts, though, is being handed back a document that was sent out for review to the state office, and finding it marked with "editorial
comments" from someone (no name included) who obviously isn't well versed in the finer points of our written language.

Although I'm frustrated with the number of times this anonymous editor has said that words with prefixes need hyphens (change 'nonprofit' to 'non-profit'); I know that neither is wrong, so I just ignore the suggestion and move on. Hyphens are also consistently suggested for
adverb-noun pairs (naturally-occurring v. naturally occurring). Again, neither is wrong, so I move on. But these make up only a portion of the comments from this editor.

My anonymous editor seems to have trouble with subject-verb agreement. One comment, representative of many, was the command to change "is" to "are" in this sentence: " The end result of the projects is…" The projects share a single end result. "Is" refers to "The end result" not "projects," so it's the correct choice. This is an easy mistake to make, and when I'm editing and find this type of error I fix it without blinking. My problems with it in this case are 1) it is already correct; the proposed change would make it incorrect, and 2) the person calling for the change is claiming to be an editor.

But the comment that really got to me, the one that made me step aside from my document and write this post… Well, judge for yourself.

The sentence as it read when the document was sent for review:

… scientific evidence related to the theory of dinosaur extinction by meteor impact with earth.

The comment by the anonymous editor:

Insert "a proposed" after "by"

This would make it a proposed meteor impact. If the sentence didn't state that extinction by meteor impact is a theory, I would assume that our editor friend was trying--and failing--to show that the meteor impact isn't scientifically proven. But the sentence does say so, and in so many words.

There's a coffee shop in town that used to be a church. It has pews instead of chairs and still has its old stained-glass windows. Sandwich names include The Roughrider, The Bully, and The Teddy; Theodore Roosevelt went to church here. Today I came to write and to meet another writer. And I did.

Gypsy's the first other writer I've met since I moved here in August. Yes, one of my coworkers has the title "writer," but, other than reports for work, she doesn't write. I assume she did once, assume she had stories inside her that wanted to be freed, but now, today, she writes only government reports. Gypsy, though, wants to write. She's working on her first novel, on her masters in literature, on finding a job in this little berg, and on raising her kids. We didn't get a whole lot of writing done at the coffee shop, but we talked about writing--something I haven't done since I've been here.

It's interesting to see yourself through other people's eyes. Gypsy thinks I'm "living the life. Doing it. Being a writer." Because I'm an editorial assistant for the BLM. Because I've done enough research and know enough published authors to be able to answer most of her questions. Because I've had scores of articles published. Because I write, regularly. But that isn't how I see myself. I see someone who writes and wants to write more, someone who knows she needs to put herself out there more often and write more pieces. Maybe that's what I'll always see; there is always more to write. Today I got to be someone's inspiration, and it was good.

I just wrote a scene in which my MC is introduced to trance music for the first time, and is dragged to the dance floor. She's watching everyone else and trying to figure out how to dance to it. It was painful, the reactions she had to her attempts. Memories of being a gangly adolescent. She ended up walking off the dance floor, leaving her partner there with his eyes closed as he moved to the music. I think it turned out well. At least, it made me cringe.

I am a bad shmoo. It has been forever and then some since I posted anything here. Funny how not writing bleeds into all aspects of one's life. But I am writing in spades and buckets and airline carriers now, and some of that is bound to leak over to this.

I moved in August. Away from the Rocky Mountains that have loomed over me most of my life, and into a world of flatness where I struggle to figure out compass points. Mountains have always been to the west-- when there are no mountains, there is no west.

In theory I'm writing at work, but I'm not. It's government work, and what I consider copy-editing, the senior writer and my myriad of supervisors all consider writing. Changing a paragraph so that it reads better is not writing. Most of what I do at work is play with styles in MicroSoft Word 2007. I also file - or will once it comes down the pipe what and how I'm supposed to file. Apparently I am supposed to wait for the experts, of whom their are none. Le sigh.

Writing is going okay, though, outside of work. I have written a few poems, and am a third of the way through the first draft of a novel. I'm also working on the edits for the urban horror-fantasy.

This town has few choices beyond a plethora of fast food, and so I have been cooking more than usual. It's been very good. Very good. I'm a pretty good cook - who knew? I've been making big batches and freezing most of it. My freezer has dal, jambalaya, tomato sauce, roasted vegetables, and vegetable soup. I also have the ingredients for saag and for split pea soup. Those will likely get made on Wednesday.

I just discovered the album She and Him: Volume One, something I likely would have discovered some time ago if I'd been better about keeping up with LJ, since Adam Selzer is one of the musicians on it. I could have been listening to it all these months. At least I've found it now. These are songs I'm going to love singing along with.

Okay - it's past my bedtime. Perhaps I'll come again soon.

So, in less than 24 hours the December holidays will be over. They seemed to sneak up on me this year, and now they're done.

My roommates and I had our annual latke and dreidel gathering on Friday. It was one of those events that was mostly thrown together at the last minute. I had mentioned it to a couple of folks about a week before, but never got around to sending out formal invitations. Still, we had 7 folks show up - a good crowd - you don't want too many folks while playing dreidel; play takes forever to get back to you. Two of my friends brought me the Jewish edition of _Apples to Apples_, so we played that when we finished our dreidel game. Wow- it seemed a lot tougher than the regular version. There were many times when it seemed none of the cards played fit at all. It was still a lot of fun. And now, because we didn't halve the latke recipe, and because we actually added more potatoes to it for ease of frying, we'll be eating latkes well into the new year. I think my older sister, who made the latkes for the family's latke dinner tonight, was disappointed that I didn't take any of her leftovers home. We also have tons of M&Ms left from dreidel. As a kid I'd always horde the M&Ms I won. As an adult, most folks seem to throw them back into the pot at the end, not wanting to go home with massive amounts of candy. Not that I mind; I love M&Ms. :)

Christmas day was spent at my Mom's house (as always). My mom decided to start a new Christmas tradition last year. In years past we've always just noshed on whatever food gifts the family received: cheese, crackers, fruit, etc. Last year we had a Christmas dinner, with each person bringing a Bulgarian dish. This year's Christmas dinner was English. My nephew (12 years old) made octopus. I searched the intertubes for a traditional English Christmas recipe, and came up with chestnuts and brussel sprouts. I'd never prepared chestnuts before and had no idea how much work they took. I scored the shells while watching "Scrooged" on Christmas Eve, then boiled them for twenty minutes. Christmas morning I spent a couple of hours peeling them while we exchanged gifts. My younger sister's boyfriend helped. The dish turned out well, and, apart from the time spent on the chestnuts, was very simple to prepare. My nephew had also wanted to dress in Renaissance costumes for Christmas (we've always just worn our pajamas in the past), so he made himself a tunic. He's so much more domestic than I am.

There's also been a lot of visiting with friends. One of my roommates and best friends is moving to Canada on January 1, so we've been spending a lot of time together. But there have also been people visiting whom I hadn't seen in years. It's been good catching up. But because of that I'm exhausted (stayed up *far* too late last night with an old friend). I'm off to bed. I hope everyone has had a wonderful December. May the coming year be the best one yet!

When I started writing this novel, I had no idea what I wanted to write. So little, in fact, that I had a friend type the first letter on screen, and I went from there.

It didn't take long to figure out the direction it was going. Turns out I was writing a joke - a novel based on a conversation from a couple of weeks earlier (I'm not yet ready to share what it is with the world at large; it was a joke). I kept writing, determined to write the story and see what happened. There were a few people to whom I told the premise.

Those people keep telling me they want to read it. I feel obliged to finish the first draft (currently at 60,000+ words) and then edit the bejeebers out of it.

I think it's unique. The mythology in it is good, and the conflicts can be read simply for entertainment, or as commentary on society and group social interaction. But there seems to be more than I can put into one novel - do I want to write more than one novel set in this world? Le sigh. I guess I'll see what happens after I finish this one.

I am a National Novel Writing Month municipal liaison for my town, encouraging hundreds of folks to write first drafts of novels. One of the ways I help encourage is to post a daily quote from an author. Some are humorous, some profound, some just tell you to slog through it no matter how hard it gets. What is very difficult to find, though, is a quote showing that an author is thankful they can write. And I really want that sort of quote for Thanksgiving.

Last year I posted the Isaac Bashevis Singer quote (from an award acceptance speech):
I am ... thankful to God for each story, each idea, each word, each day.

I'm looking for more quotes of this type.
If you know of any fitting quotes, please post them.

If you're a published author, and are willing to be quoted, please post something fitting.

I appreciate any help you give! Thanks!

Just a note to everyone I've barely seen for a while - my class is over, and I'm getting a wee bit more used to my work schedule, so I may be able to have a life again. W00t!

Let me know if you want to do something, and we'll figure out a time to get together.

A friend and I kidnapped another friend Tuesday, and whisked him away to Red Feather for an afternoon picnic of grapes, cherries, strawberries, jicama, and other produce, Tilamook cheeses (extra sharp cheddar and pepper jack), a bakery fresh loaf of crusty Italian bread, and sparkling cranberry juice. Plus kefir and croutons. We sat at a shaded table just a few yards from the lake. Laughter and conversation eddied around us, but we were wrapped in our own, in each other. One friend is newly returned from China, the other (the one we stole away) moves to England in less than a week. This was a magical, time-resistant day.

After the picnic, I hunted for the turn-off for the Shambhala Mountain Center. Turned around and searched some more. Rinse and repeat. I fueled up at the tiny gas station - pumps so old that they can't be programmed with today's gas prices, taped over with signs that declare I must double the dollar amount shown to get the actual amount owed. The fellow behind the counter, balding and covered in age-spots, laughed and pointed me in the right direction.

Down the mountain six miles and a turn onto a well-maintained dirt road. Well-maintained with a low-grade incline. I braked as we neared a curve that had a steeper incline. The pedal hit the floor. The car didn't slow. I pumped the pedal. Nothing. Then pulled the emergency brake as I steered to the shoulder. Even the emergency brake was too free. It did the job, but not quickly. Still, the car rolled to an easy stop 4.5 miles from the Shambhala Center, further from Red Feather or Livermore. We checked our mobiles, but there's no service here. We didn't expect any. We moved the picnic basket to the trunk. Before we began walking, a car drove by. I flagged it down. The woman hadn't room for all of us, but agreed to take me to the center so I could call for a tow and a rescue. She then picked up my friends, and drove them down to the center, as well.

I called a tow. I called a friend to pick us up. Both estimated 90 minutes till they arrived. My friends had never seen the great Stupa, so off we went, cameras in hand, good cheer and laughter flowing from us. There were fuzzy bumble bees on the flowers along our path. There were craggy rocks in stark relief against the blue, blue sky. Butterscotch filled the air as sugar pines released their musk. And there was the Stupa. The colors so bright, the painted patterns like candy. The offerings ranged from a mirrored Eddie Bauer button, to a five dollar bill, to a child's plastic whistle. Inside the Stupa a lone man sat meditating before the great statue of Buddha. We lingered only a short time before heading back toward the car.

Again we were lucky. After no more than half a mile on the road, we flagged down another vehicle. This woman could, and did, fit all of us. She dropped us at my car.

My friend who had agreed to play knight was there, waiting. Had been for twenty-minutes. The tow truck arrived within another twenty. Then a forty-five mile drive back to town, pay and tip the tow-truck driver, and take our knight to dinner for his gallant rescue.

It was a good day. And the people I was with were exceedingly good sports about my brakes failing and our plans turning from their original intent. No one panicked. No one complained. I love my friends.

Woot! I went to a climbing gym for the first time in far too long. And it was a blast. I had forgotten how much I enjoy them; every time I go, I immediately want to go again.

My climbing partner (who is a member of the gym and brought me as his guest) was exceedingly patient in showing me how to tie all the knots I'd forgotten. His tutelage worked - I neither dropped him nor fell. That would've put a bit of a damper on the whole evening. :) I didn't climb anything too difficult - a coupe of 5s (of course) and one 6. His climbs were much harder - not anything I'm ready to tackle. Then a dinner of protein and carbs (burritos) in front of his television as he introduced me to Spaced, a fabulous show I'd been hearing about for a while, but hadn't seen. Add to the mix friendly kitties and conversation till 1:00 a.m., and it's obvious that it was a good night.

Even the rain was kinda' fun. It took me an hour and forty-five minutes to get to his place - a drive that should have taken about an hour. There were times I could barely see the tail lights of the car in front of me on the interstate - though, to be fair, I stayed back a good distance in case I hydroplaned. I listened to the radio the entire drive, and only had one station fuzz out for a few seconds. Intermittently the music was interrupted by the emergency broadcast system telling me to watch out for flooding and tornadoes. It wasn't until after I left the interstate that the roads got bad. There puddles that were ponds - at least one was as high as the undercarriage of my car. The cars in lanes around me splashed water over my roof. But, for all that, it was a good drive. Drivers were cautious and courteous. My windshield wipers worked. My air conditioning kept the windows from fogging over. I had radio throughout the drive. The rain and clouds and filtered sunlight were breathtakingly beautiful, and the traffic slow enough that I could see and appreciate them. It was the sort of drive that's supposed to key me up, but it didn't.

Not sure that I can really recommend clicking on this link. Not sure I can tell you not to, either.

Two Mormon's find themselves hitting the hard streets of L.A., a music video set to Papoose's Ride Out.

Saturday, June 12
I participated in a sacred fire ceremony today. We sat in a farmer's field, and the Divine Mother (Amma Sri Karunamayi) led us in 4-hours of ritual chanting and blessings and prayers. I'd never participated in a Hindu ceremony before.

After the ceremony we were fed a fabulous lunch of traditional Indian fare. Tasty.

Sunday
I went boating for the first time today. I'd been on peddle boats at City Park, and on ferries, but this was the first time I'd been on anything else. We went to Carter Lake, which was fairly crowded (no surprise there since Colorado bodies of water large enough for boating are scarce). There were four of us on a friend's powerboat.

They hooked an innertube behind it, and we took turns being pulled. That was a blast. I was reminded, though, that most people I hang out with don't fall into gender stereotypes. All three of the other people on the boat applauded how well I did, and my friend's husband told me that I "did better than any other girl ever had, and better than half the guys." I wasn't trying to "do better," I was just having fun.

Monday
I hung out with a friend I haven't seen in a while. He's been thoroughly twitterpated, and has been spending much time with the object of his affection. This is a good and happy thing.

We spent a few hours chatting, and walked over to Qdoba for some fast food Mexican. All-in-all, a good evening.

Tuesday
I had a job interview with the company I last worked for. This contract, though, has been around, and isn't likely to be canceled in three months. There are several people being interviewed, including others who got laid off when our contract was canceled, but I think I have a decent shot at it. I've kept in touch with some of my former co-workers, and one of them works on this contract. Fingers crossed. The bit of freelance writing hasn't been quite enough to cover all my bills while I've been job hunting.

Wednesday
I think this was the day I hung out with my Mom and nephew, and we walked to Dairy Queen. I think it had been years since I had a Blizzard; I'd forgotten how dense they are, and how thirst-inducing. We sat in a park and ate them, then my nephew hooked up with some friends and my mom and I headed back to her place and chatted for a while.

Thursday
BATMAN!!

One of my roommates and I drove to Denver and picked up another friend. We grabbed dinner at Tokyo Joe's, then headed to another friend's Denver apartment. We ate dinner and watched Batman Begins to Sky's squees. After the movie, we all headed to the theater and got in line. It was about 9:30, I think. We ended up with really good seats when we got into the auditorium.

And then - BATMAN!!! Preceded, of course, by the Watchman trailer. Both were good. Both made me happy. Now I must follow Starrai's advice, and see Batman on the Imax screen (it was sold out when I bought my ticket). Anyone else interested?

Friday
Walked to La Dolce Vita with a friend. They have a new syrup for their Italian sodas - blackberry. I'm not sure if it wasn't good because they used to much, or if it simply wasn't good. I'll give it another try.

After an hour or so at the coffee shop, my friend and I came back to my house and hung out till it was time to head to another friend's Full Moon party. I ended up missing it, falling asleep on my couch instead. :( But there will be another one next month. :)

And that is last week in review.

I just joined shelfari. Addicting little bugger of a site. :) I've just spent far too long adding just a few books to my shelf. I'd love to see what you guys are reading, have read, plan to read. It costs nothing to join, and you get to tell the world (well, everyone on shelfari, anyway) what you think of any book you've read. If you join, or are already on, feel free to friend me. I'm 5hmoo there, too. My profile page is at shelfari.com/5hmoo.

I just returned from a birthday barbecue, and was informed by far too many people that I have been remiss in my posting. Which, of course, I have been.

So, a quick rundown on what's been happening:

I took a job conducting/ verifying background checks for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The contract got canceled, so everyone working that job (based in Loveland, CO) was laid off. I'm currently unemployed and looking, just a bit more than half-heartedly, for my next job. So if you have any leads, feel free to pass them my way. :)

I've worked a bit on the revisions for one of my novels. I should be working harder, but have been lacking motivation.

One of roommates got accepted to a school in Canada, and will be moving in January. He and my other roommate own the house; they'll probably sell it. I'll be looking for somewhere to live in a few months.

My mom is hoping I'll move in with her and help her with my nephew. While I don't really want to, I'm considering it. My mother could use the help. My nephew is not easy, and my mother is not young.

My home has been invaded by ants. Lots and lots of ants. This has just happened in the last week. Anyone know any good tricks for getting rid of them? At the moment we have toothpaste smeared on the door frame (their entrance), but that's certainly not a permanent solution.

And, really, as sad as it is, that's about all that's happened in my life of late.

If there's a post you've made that you want me to read, let me know. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be better about reading/ posting in the days and weeks to come. No promises, though. :)

This post is long overdue, as so many of my posts seem to be.

I did not get the Green Peace job. :( Thanks to everyone who wished me luck, and esp. to those of you who put in a good word.

I'm currently working as a background investigator for the state of California. I haven't moved; the office is in Colorado. Gotta love it. :) And I'm talking with a woman about another job - one that would involve lots of travel. I'm not sure of all the details yet, and don't know if it'll be difficult for them to hire an American. Here's hopin'. *clinks glass

Other than that - not much new and exciting going on. 'Tis the week of birthdays. One this past Saturday, two this past Monday, one yesterday, two today, three parties on Saturday, another birthday on Sunday, and another on Monday. Labor Day must be a fun weekend. ;)
Happy birthday everyone!!!

Yay! I'm one of two finalists for the job in San Francisco. They want me to fly out to DC for an interview next Wednesday.

woot!

yay. The position in Loveland (the 'just a job' job) is mine. I start on the 25th. Regular daytime hours, and everything. That's going to take some getting used to. :)

Fingers crossed that the Greenpeace interviews (a series of three) go well on Thursday. That one isn't 'just a job.'

And I loved it.

A friend and I had set this weekend aside for productivity. We sat at the counter of the all-night coffee shop. I tapped away on my laptop, creating FAQ pages for my website. He worked on the dragon he's sculpting, adding muscle definition, splaying its toes, and creating exquisite scale detail. Now and again folks would stop to ask him about the sculpture, complimenting always, conversing sometimes. But these were minor distractions. Work was getting done.

Even after I nearly killed my battery and realized I wasn't positioned near a power outlet, I kept working. I shut down and closed my computer, preparing it for use as a desk. I pulled out lined paper. And a black pen. I could no longer edit my site, but I could write copy. And I did. C- ordered us each sandwiches: for me, cream cheese and hummus on a sundried tomato bagel, for him, Double Your Pleasure - and so the start of the innuendos. We worked and ate, with lapses into conversation. He finished his sandwich. He slumped (he did not, however, sigh).

"Food coma?"

"Food coma," he confirmed.

Perhaps caffeine would save him. He ordered a drink. A sweet drink. And soon he was practically under the counter. He moved to the rocker, the green plush natty and worn from year of use, the stuffing drawing him in, cocooning him into sleep. I sat in the wooden rocker next to him, not asleep, an eye still on the dragon sculpture and computer on the counter. My pen scratched across the pages, no longer writing web copy. It wrote instead of the friend I was with, describing him in his sleep, my planned productivity ended for the moment.

Perhaps the weekend would not have been lost, perhaps we would have continued making progress. But other friends, or, rather, near-friends - people I want to know better - came in. And we talked and played. They woke C-, and we talked and played. And the coffee shop emptied, and we talked, the walls blushing at innuendo and invitation. And we played. ryuessence and I whipped our glasses from our faces and fought, half wrestling, half laughing, to cat-call equivalents. A clay doll was made and fixed with a lock of C-'s hair; hoodoo was performed. And, when C- and I finally chose to leave, we were informed that we couldn't.

"Not yet. We have a surprise. You'll like it."

So, skeptical, we stayed. And we liked it.

And then Saturday, dozing and conversation and contented purring. In the evening we made our way to Scimoria for the annual watching of Groundhog Day. Movie and massage with C- and my roommates. Followed by couch snuggles and Baraka, a perfect film for simply lazing about on one another, watching the cinematography, listening to the music, feeling connected.

Everyone wandered off, and it was time for me to go to bed. Amidst whispers of silk, I slept till morning. And though I was able to be productive today, it did not take the place of the many hours lost. But then, productivity could never take the place of the hours I had. It was a very good weekend.

Yay for today! I just got back from having a sinfully decadent brownie with one of my favorite people. That alone is enough to start a day out right. But then I checked my e-mail, and Greenpeace says they want to schedule me for a telephone interview asap (meaning next Wednesday or Thursday). This is one of my top-choice jobs. Woot!

So, what salary range is reasonable to expect for a web editor in San Francisco, keeping in mind that non-profits pay less than for profit corps.?

So what is it that some people do to get jobs. You know the ones (you might even be one of them) - they manage to get any job they I apply for, whether they're qualified or not.

I have a few resumes out - one for a position that's been open for a year - and no bites. I'm well qualified. I want the jobs. I'd be good at the jobs. But how do I get that across? Especially when there's so much corporate bureaucracy that I can't even find out WHO is in charge of hiring for the position?

::grumble grumble::

I think I have a good shot at the job I just interviewed for, but it's a job, not a career, not along a career path. I'll still be looking. Any tips, leads, job offers, etc. are most welcome.

I'm hoping to be leaving my current job soon (I have an interview on Wednesday), and would like to find a candidate or two for my current position.

It's just office-monkey work. Answering phones, filing, interacting with patients, e-mail, etc. It's not challenging and there's no intellectual stimulation, but there's also no fryer grease.

It's a great job if you're in school. You'll have a fairly set schedule (about 25 hours/ week), but can probably build it around classes if you need to. I think it will pay $8/ hour, but I don't know for sure. It doesn't include any sort of insurance. The dress-code is business casual - no jeans or T-shirts, no visual tattoos, no piercings other than earrings or a nose stud.

Are you interested? Let me know.

November is over, but my novel is not. I did figure out where it's going, though. And that I need to change my POV. Apparently (though I didn't know this till I'd written 55,000 words) the woman who's been narrating is dead. Her apprentice is telling the story. When I started, I didn't even know she had an apprentice.

I'm trying out another writers' group. Every writers' group I've been part of has fallen apart. Here's hoping this one works out. It's different from others I've been in, in that there isn't really a workshop feel to it. Two meetings each week, but designed as working meetings: for individuals to write or edit or whatever. There is also no limit on what writing is acceptable. There will be tech writing, essays, short stories, novels. And, if people want their writings edited, they can opt in to a manuscript exchange. It's going to be interesting (there's only been one meeting so far).

This group of NaNoWriMo participants was better than ever. And it's these folks who make up the writers' group. Considering the phenomenal energy of this year's NaNo, I have high hopes. Now I just have to figure out what *my* goal is. Which of my myriad of writing projects do I want to work on first? This will be just what I need to keep me focused.

So, writing. It's what I've been doing. It's what I'll keep doing. And, because of it, I don't check in to LJ as often as I have. If there's an entry you'd like me to read, be sure to let me know, or e-mail me with the post/ info.

After the fiasco that was online ticket sales yesterday, I managed to get through this afternoon and buy World Series tickets! Yay!

I've made it to at least one game every summer save two since the Rockies came into existence. I'd have been sad if I couldn't get to the World Series.

Okay, it's still not guaranteed. I got tickets for game 5 (3 and 4 were sold out), but the series usually doesn't end in a four game sweep. :)

Yay!

Is it sad that when I saw my score my first thought wasn't, "egad, I'm such a nerd!," but, "I need to work on that computer/ technology score?"

It's almost November, and that means NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month. Some people love it. Some hate it. Others couldn't care less. Me, I love it. There's great fun in surrounding yourself with people who are each trying to churn out 50,00 word novels in one month. Although I'm often around other writers, the NaNo group has an intense energy that would be difficult to match.

Have you ever thought about writing a novel, but not quite gotten around to it? Do you tell yourself you don't have enough time, or that you'll do it "someday," or...? Thousands of NaNoWriMo participants have proven that you don't need lots of time to crank out a first draft, so why wait? If you've been putting off the novel you've always dreamed of writing, join us this year.

You can sign up at nanowrimo.org. There are regions all over the country and the world, so wherever you are you can tap into the group of local writers who are doing this crazy thing.

I heartily recommend it for all aspiring novelists. It's fun. You will meet lots of other writers. And the energy and support is phenomenal.