From the Inkwell, From the Vein.....

Well, NaNoWriMo has come and gone again. And for the third year running, I have managed to pull out the 50,000-word quota...this year, about 1 1/2 hours before the wordcount validators were shut down. The novel is probably about 20-30 thousand words shy of being a full first draft, but what I have is definitely more than I thought I would have. When I first set out to write this year's novel, I was a little more than hesitant as I wasn't sure what this collection of stories would bring. Requiem made his debut, though slightly less than stellar, and several other unexpected characters popped up. If nothing else, this year's NaNo gave me a real exercise in instant storytelling. It was really exciting watching ideas and story lines pop out of nowhere. Hopefully, with the collection of plots and new characters, I'll be able to pull some very strong, and cross fingers, very good future novels!!! Yay, for NaNo!!!

Little more than 5 hours and the madness will ensue for the third year running. I am both excited and anxious about this year's attempt, probably because I'm venturing into untested realms of writing. I've never been strong at writing short stories and this year I plan on writing 12 with an underlying thread to connect them all, but still that's 12 short stories. Granted, they will probably be less in the realm of 'stories' and more in the realm of stream-of-consciousness, but still. So, this year's "novel" will be, in essence, a collection of scenes that are being stitched together for the purposes of providing my POV character with his greatest opus. And, without further ado...... Requiem: A Descent into Madness & other disturbing haunts Meet: Requiem , the offspring of Apollo, the god of music and literature, and Morta, the fate that cuts the thread of life. He is gathering movements from human life-stories for his own symphony. Torn by

I sat down to write a note about my preparations for NaNoWriMo year 3 and I suddenly became aware that it has almost been a full year since I added a post. Funny how life gets in the way sometimes. This year has not been the easiest, but as each day passes I revel in the fact that I am one day closer to moving on, moving past, going forward or whatever the appropriate terminology is. This year has been a lesson in self-discovery, loss, fear and triumph. I have come to the full realization that I am no longer happy in the job that I am working and I am hoping that this discontent will fuel my passion to become a published author. With that goal in mind, my efforts post-nano will be doubly focused on making that dream a reality. By this time next year, I would like to be able to post a substantial number of submissions that I have made. It is time for me to step up from just writing to actually submitting. My chances of becoming published will only improve if I get my work out there, o