Cream Puffs & NaNoWriMo

Less than 12 hours to go and NaNoWriMo is looming on the horizon. While my sister prepares a feast I prepare to lose my mind.

This past week I've been sick, fighting with a blogger theme and trying to stay on top of my schoolwork. Do I feel ready for tonight? Not really, but there is no holding back time and I'm ready to embark on another adventure.

Oh yeah, my last adventure was trying to change a flat tire in Lynn Woods.

My biggest challenge of the moment is to find a way to smuggle a cream puff with no one the wiser.

Updating Theme

Just a quick FYI. Don't be alarmed if this site looks different over the coming weeks. This was just a temporary template to get me going and am planning on having the site updated before November 1st.

I won't be able to fiddle around with widgets, hacks or color schemes while trying to write a novel!

NaNoWriMo Participants from Problogger Community

There are so many ways to make lists of insane people enthusiastic nanowrimo participants.  Writing Sya’s list from NaNoWriMo forums, InkyGirl's list of nano buddies, and Absolute Write's nano user names thread are just a few examples.

Since joining the Problogger Community I've been reading a host of new blogs and was excited to see a few who have done the contest in the past or are planning to do it next month. Links are to posts tagged nanowrimo and their nano profiles when available. 

Are you part of the Problogger Community and NaNoWriMo?  Drop your links in the comments and I'll add you.         

Signed up for 2009:

Future Conscience 

Marelisa Fábrega

Tracy O'Connor on NaNo

Santacruz on NaNo

Benjamin Solah

Zombie Skittles on NaNo

Oh, and me :)

Have you made a nano list?  Share it below.

Barnes and Noble Where are the Writing Books?

I stood in front of the two cases devoted to writing and punctuation at my local Barnes and Noble befuddled and torn.

Let’s digest that for a moment, two cases on how to write in a book store?  There was more space allocated to calendars, gifts, and even toys.  I think my first job as a library page spoiled me and led me to have higher expectations from book stores, especially the huge monster ones. 

Even so, Barnes and Noble did have one case on guides, personal experiences and specialized per genre.   The other case was mainly filled by dictionaries in a assortment of sizes.  There were so many titles that I walked out empty handed not sure which I should get first.  I did take a few pictures to remind myself of a few that peeked my interest. 

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Page after Page by Heather Sellers

The Oxford: Essential Guide to Writing by Thomas S. Kane

The Little Red Writing Book by Brandon Royal

Have you ever read any of the above?  Would you recommend it to your easily confused mother or dog?  Or is there a book you feel that every storyteller should have?

I hope I don’t sound whiny, because I had a grand time browsing the shop and reading the end of more than one book.  I was especially excited to see stories like Amelia Bedila in the bargain books.  I love my bargains!

Resourceful Writing Books That I Own

My bookshelf sways and groans under the weight of a vast assortment of books.  Now that NaNoWriMo is less than a month away it is time for me to dust off my writing shelf.  I’m always looking for new books, most of which end up on my Amazon Wish list for a ridiculous amount of time.  Here are a few that I own.

Eat, Shoots, & Leaves:  The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
by Lynne Truss

I bought this just last week when I stumbled upon Derby Street Books in Salem, Ma.  Hopefully it will help my sentence structure.

The Everything Creative Writing Book
by Carol Whiteley

Picked this one up on vacation at my favorite used book store.  I read about screenwriting on the plane trip home but don’t think that is what I’ll be referring to right now.

Guide to Fiction Writing
by Phyliss Whitney

Prolific author’s approach to novel writing.

Dictionaries

Some old, some new.  I still have my first dictionary that my best friend growing up gave me.  I probably still need to look up words in it too.

Thesaurus

My brain jumps to certain words repeatedly and a thesaurus helps me to change it up.

What books do you have on hand?  Is there a particular book that you go back to time and again?  I have a feeling I’m going to need another bookcase.

NaNoWriMo New Site Open

Have you signed up for NaNoWriMo? Still plenty of time, check out the reopened site and sign up.  Do you live in the Boston area?  The regional group is planning on weekly write-ins on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons.

Here are two more sites for you to browse over the weekend:

Inkygirl: Looking for inspiration, motivation, relaxation?  Enjoy her comics.  She has NaNoWriMo themed ones as well as writing in general.

Paperback Writer: I talked about her outlining earlier now check out her NaNoWriMo tips, past and present.

Have a great weekend and start stretching your fingers!