NaNoWriMo 2014, One Day at a Time

The Road to Vetheuil - Monet

I'll be using this post to share the links to my daily writing for NaNoWriMo 2014. I don't want to
clutter up your Inboxes (those of you who subscribe), so make sure to check in here periodically if you want to see how the novel is coming.

You can view the details of the novel here, on the NaNoWriMo site. But basically, it's a Young Adult novel currently entitled Young Artists (this will likely change...Any suggestions?)

Here is what I managed to pound out on Day 1.

I think I may have gotten a bit ahead of myself today. Some of this might end up later in the story, but at this point, here is Day 2 of  my novel.

Close your eyes and picture it. I'm pleased with some of the imagery in today's work: Day 3.

A little short for Day 4, but not to worry. still in it to win it!

Started out just playing catch-up today and ended up getting lost in the story. I'm liking what I did today, Day 5. This may be my second favourite day's work so far (the first being Day 3).

So...this is all she (being me) wrote...for today anyway: Day 6.

Only 7 words short of 10,000 words on Day 8! I will try to remedy this tonight. I think it would keep me up all night...

After some technical difficulties (and a disappointing loss of words) yesterday, I've rewritten what was lost and more: Day 9. Got some real catching up to do now, but still going for it! Thank you to all my encouragers out there. It helps!

A pensive/descriptive day for my young Artists: Day 10.

Today (Day 11), my characters followed some good advice from Judy Dench (as Armande in Chocolat): "Don't worry so much about 'supposed to'." P.S Happy Veteran's/Remembrance Day. Thank you for your service!

Get your tissue box ready. I know I almost needed mine for Day 13.

Barely managed to sneak a word in on Day 14. Working on Day 16 now!

Another rough day for my characters. Hang in there guys! Day 16 has come and gone.

Day 17 ended at an unintentional cliffhanger. Ah well.

The story continues to unfold on Day 18. So many surprises (even to me)!

Day 19 is still a work in progress, but I'm posting the link now anyway.

Again, will hopefully add more to this later tonight, but posting it now, just in case.
Please note: the name of one of the characters changes from Flinna to Faenn in the middle of Day 20.

Picking up speed on Day 21!

Down to single digits in the number of days left to win this thing! I'll be cutting it close, but still trying! Here's what I wrote on Day 22.

Day 23, hot off the presses! I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

It's the final countdown. Day 24! After a good brainstorming session with my consultant, who shall remain unnamed, I'm feeling confident about wrapping this book up like a baby in swaddling clothes.

I love days like this, when the words flow and the ideas are full of bright sights and clear sounds. Now, if I can just stop saying that anything happens "after a moment" I'll be all set. Ah well, Day 25 has been very productive nonetheless.

Posting this now in case I fall asleep at the keys tonight. What Day 26 really needs is more coffee.

Happy Thanksgiving! And Day 27.

Day 28 is still in progress, but I'm posting this now in case I don't get to do it later. Need to make it to about 3000 each day, so settle in for a little longer reading (assuming I get there sometime tonight).

The end (Day 29). After this point, I'll be writing scenes I need to fill in earlier in the story until I get  to 50 000! So if you're ready, click above to find out how it all turns out! So crazy. So close.

And on Day 30, I won! Now the real work begins...but not for a while. This Scribe needs a break from all the mad scribbling she's being doing for the past 30 days. Thanks for reading!

NaNoWriMo 2014 is Almost Here!

Things have been strangely silent in the Scribe's Commonplace lately. "Real life" has been crowding into my writing time. But no more! Starting Nov. 1, I will be joining the WriMo ranks, writing to win!

"Win what?" you ask. 50,000 words in 30 days...and the satisfaction of a job well done. To find out more about National Novel Writing Month (that's November), or to join in yourself, visit the NaNoWriMo site.

I won't be blogging during November, because I'll be busy writing approximately 1667 words per day, but I will be sharing what I write for the challenge. That's right, the (almost) un-edited content of my very first novel! (I don't know whether I'm terrified or ecstatic to be embarking on this journey.)

Click here to see the progress of my novel on NaNoWriMo. Or check out the word-counter widget on the side bar to the left here on my blog.

And I'll be using Evernote to write each day so I can access my work online no matter what computer I happen to be in front of. I'll also be using it to share the links to each day's work right here on my blog, so stay tuned for updates.

Now, off to do some last minute pre-writing. See you Saturday!

- the Scribe  

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo2014? Let me know about your hopes and dreams for November in a comment below!

Living Far and Wide

Travelling is strange.  Obviously I grew up in the modern world, but it still amazes me that we can travel so far and so fast today.  A day's journey takes us hundreds and hundreds of miles from home.  Spending the summer far from home made me stop to think about how amazing that is.  Because of our ability to travel far and fast, I had the opportunity to become familiar with a patch of earth I had never set foot on before and likely will not set foot on again.  Even more bewildering than my presence hundreds of miles from home was the presence of many international friends who were thousands of miles from their homes!

From Stony Man Mountain, Shenandoah NP

I love to travel and I love meeting people from all over the world.  It allows me to create a culture all my own by piecing together my learning from the diverse places and people I have access to.  But progress always means loss.  What does this incredible ability to travel, to diversify my experience in general, cost me?  What do I lose by gaining the world, so to speak?

A Summer in Review

The summer is coming to an end and so is my Shenandoah Adventure.  It will be bitter sweet to leave the park and return home.  Leaving the many interesting and wonderful people I have become friends with this summer will be strange.  We have become accustomed to each other living in this small community.  It has been a huge blessing to have several Christian friends to fellowship with up on the mountain.  It has been an encouragement to see them at our Sunday services when they are able to attend and to talk about faith and life throughout the week.  It has also been fun connecting with people from lifestyles and beliefs different my own.  I can honestly say their worldviews have impacted and broadened mine in valuable ways.  Whether we stay in touch or not, I am glad to have met each and every one of them.  And of course we will miss our beautiful mountain home!

Look up.  Look waaaaaay up!

View of Old Rag from Hot-Short Mountain trail

One of the most substantial ruins from pre-park days I've seen so far
 -  a chimney, saw and tub in the area known as "Hazel Country"

But the closer our departure date comes, the more I am looking forward to heading home and reuniting with friends and family.  For me, absence has made my heart fonder of the people and places I left behind at the summer's beginning.  I am looking forward to visiting my favourite haunts - libraries, coffee shops, thrift stores, churches - with my favourite people again.

Until then, I am off to make the most of my remaining adventure time!  Keep your eyes open for one more concluding post before my regular posting resumes.  Thanks for following along with me this summer!

The Latest

A few weeks have passed since my last update.  They have been full ones!

L to R: me, Anastasia (Ukraine), Anastasia (Russia)
 in front of a giant stalagmite

Employees of Delaware North Companies Shenandoah, the concessioner of the park, get free entry into Luray Caverns, a popular local attraction, when we show our ID badge.  On one day off last week, I visited the caverns with two friends, Anastasia (from Russia) and Anastasia (from Ukraine)!  Our trip also included other fun adventures such as trying to find antique shops in the rain and eating ice cream at a favourite stand down in the valley.  It was interesting to learn about the different minerals and water flow that create the colours and shapes of the caves.  I remember that iron oxide is responsible for the red/orange, and calcite for the white I believe.  There was also some mention of cave algae...

The underground Dream Lake in the caverns.  The water is only about a foot
deep though it looks much bigger because of the reflection.

I'm pretty sure this is upside down, but I couldn't get it to turn over.
Here are some of the very interesting formations and colours in the cave.

Ty and I have also had the chance to do a little more hiking on our days off.  We did the Rose River Loop together, which I had done before and really enjoyed, but we also made a side trip on a connecting trail to Dark Hollow Falls.  This is probably one of the most impressive falls I've seen in the park so far (second only to Lewis Falls in my book).

From the foot of Dark Hollow Falls

Powerful water!

Along Rose River

Finally, one of the most entertaining hikes Ty and I have gone on this summer was to Nicholson Hollow and Corbin Cabin.  It is the site with the highest concentration of ruins (old cabins, fences, chimneys, etc.) in the park.  We saw a cabin that had been lived in by a man named Corbin in the pre-park days (the 30s) as well as the remains of one other cabin and several stone fences.  After returning home, I did some more reading on the history of this region of the park and made some interesting discoveries, including that many mountain dwellers were not so isolated as one might think they would have been!  Click here to make some discoveries of your own about a few settlements of the Blue Ridge Mountains including Nicholson Hollow.

Pray & Praise with us!
Praise that our services continue to be well attended by fellow employees, with at least one new-comer promising to attend this week!
Pray that even more people will notice our posters and hear about the services by word of mouth.

Praise that we are continuing to develop good friendships with many co-workers.
Pray that we will be a blessing to them, as well as to our employers, and be able to share more about the love of God with them.