3 hares

"How do you feel?"

I have a friend who invariably asks me if I’m okay, and invariably I say “yes, of course I am.” But seldom is that the entire truth. A lot of the time I feel like I’m chasing my tail … trying but not achieving … wanting but never getting. And I think it’s the same with a lot of us. We have to pull our thumbs out.

I feel like those hares; like the sculptor must have felt as he finished them … though, to his credit, he did finish them.

If I were to shuffle off this mortal coil right now (and I hope I don’t) I have at the very least released an album of music I had a large hand in creating. I’ve finished the rough drafts of five novels and published nearly thirty short stories — yes, yes! On the internet. So what?

Art is all that humanity really is and has. And if you don’t create some you’re missing out, big time! No one wants to turn to dust without leaving something behind for future generations. Do they?

During March I’m editing one of the afore mentioned novels. It’s called ‘Hellion’ and is fantasy … or speculative fiction, or something.  I think it’ll be good. Or worth a read at any rate. Wish me luck; I know I do.

NaNoEdMo and Hellion.

March is EdMo, the editing month

In November last year I wrote the bulk of a novel entitled ‘Hellion.’ There was no particular reason except that I was on a glorious ride with nearly a quarter of a million other wannabee writers on the planet taking part in NaNoWriMo. You see, November is National Novel Writing Month.

I discovered NaNoWriMo in 2006. The basic idea (Chris Baty started it in 1999 with 21 friends) was to encourage writers, so to ‘win’ you had to write 50,000 words within the month.  There weren’t that many taking part back in 2006 … and the NaNoWriMo site was a bit fragile. Anyway, I made it, just! And for my trouble I got a nifty little web plaque to put up on my site and a PDF winner’s certificate. W00T! 😀

So, in November 06, 07, 08 and 10 I wrote a novel. That’s four, admittedly unfinished, novels that I need to pull my finger out and edit.

Enter the editors equivalent: NaNoEdMo. It starts tomorrow. I’ve sharpened my red pencil and I’m thoroughly looking forward to it! 🙂