Veni, Vidi, Vici

I'm done with the 50,000 words.

I'm not done shaping my final draft manuscript.

I'm not even done shaping the part I'll send to agents.

But I won NaNoWriMo.

Let me repeat: I won NaNoWriMo.

You all know me, so you'll understand that this is a big deal. I managed to set myself a deadline and a goal. I managed to meet it, despite the delights of procrastination promised by my day job, my social life, and my utterly delectable husband (not necessarily in that order). I managed to write 50,000 words despite the fact that I had (a) 1 out-of-town visitor (b) 10 teaching coaches camped out in my classroom (c) over 200 papers to grade and (d) an overwhelming desire to watch 3 seasons' worth of Bones in the span of two weeks.

Throw in a partridge and a pear tree, and you have it just about right!

Suddenly, anything seems possible. Maybe I can actually make a go of this writing thing, even with my hectic day job. I'll be back in a week or so to offer you up my musings on life, and where I go next. In the mean time, I am going to put up Christmas decorations and put my efforts towards pampering Mike. (Hopefully, a week of cooking dinner will make up for all the nights he stayed clear of my writing space and subsisted on Honey Smacks...)

Thank you all for your encouragement as I tackled NaNoWriMo 2008!

The Writing Life

I've yet to post on this blog about my other life as a would-be writer. Well, the time has come. It's November, and in certain circles November means National Novel-Writing Month. I'm deep in the heart of writing. What does that mean? I spend at least an hour every day obsessing about my novel, writing hideously purple prose, and then obsessing that I'll never be able to edit said purple prose into something I can live with.

But you know what? Despite all the angst, I think I'm actually getting better at this whole writing thing. If nothing else, I've finally acquired the ability to mock up interesting covers. (It helps to have a photogenic husband and a brilliant wedding photographer who's willing to hand over some lovely engagement proofs!)

But I won't lie. I still suck at book blurbs. You don't even want to know about the tragically awful blurb I had up on my NaNo profile for the better part of this month. Luckily, inspiration came in the form of my Writing Buddies (primarily Ciaralira and Flamez). Based on their brilliant blurbs, I managed to jazz mine up a little!

Revising Mr. Right: Book Blurb

Hard-working Jessica Jo Carter has fought tenaciously for her reputation as a brilliant, ambitious professor. She’s desperate to forget her past and find a place to belong, but one final hurdle may destroy everything she’s worked to achieve.

Laidback handyman Jude St. John has learned the hard way to play it safe. He likes to keep things simple, but that’s impossible when Jessi Carter returns to town. The last thing he needs is this dangerously sexy woman questioning the boundaries he’s set for himself. But the last thing he wants is the pain of watching her walk out of his life… again.

When circumstances throw Jessi back into Jude’s arms, she is faced with an impossible choice: to finally snag the security she craves, or risk her heart on the one man capable of breaking it.

Will this gamble cost Jessi her place in the world, or will Jude's love give her the home she craves?

Let me know what you think: of the blurb, of the cover, of my handsome husband!