Ready, set, write

I start tonight at midnight!!!! Ooooooo! Scary!

Knitting my thoughts

I have started knitting. Something very straight forward. It is exactly the kind of activity that Dorothea Brande noted as a release for thoughts. Very helpful. I have an idea now of how this novel might go. And I might get this knitted item finished too! But I am still sweating.

Word meter

I have a meter now to count my words: That number one represents my working title. I haven't started writing yet! That would be cheating. I don't even have a plot.

Update..I've changed the number to 0 to see if it is working! 'Tis

Counting down

Nov. 1 looms. I have a working title "Footprints" I don't know what this means exactly except it has something to do with ancestors leaving their mark on present generations.

Carl Hiassen and Flush

Random House has a contest inspired by Carl Hiaasen's book Flush ( a children's book) I've read some of his books and like some of them ( although not the last one I read) but unfortunately the contest is only open to people between the ages of 8 and 25! Maybe I could get my daughter to write something. She could win a trip to Florida. And the contest doesn't end til 31 Dec. so she'd have lots of time.

A matter of taste

As with tea-so books.

Our book circle considered McCall Smith's The Full Cupboard of Life and several found it wanting. They thought it too light hearted "considering the terrible situation" of Aids in Africa. They thought the author's "tongue in cheek style" was somewhat disrespectful to Africans. Most, however, appreciated the simple, humourous style with the buried complexity and the great respect and dignity the author gave his characters. These were people he knew, having spent much time with people like them in Botswana and South Africa.

I had some beaded pins which were made by ladies in Zimbabwe which I had bought on spec. The money goes to help Aids victims in Africa. One of the ladies bought one off me. They were able to take a look at some video clips of Pete's Pond (unfortunately the live wildcam was down again that day). Some of them were brave enough to try the bush tea. That too was a matter of taste and not universally approved. I like it though and won't have any trouble gettting through the packet.

Offline

Oh dear. Pete's Pond's livecam is offline again. Oh well we will just have to look at the video clips when my book group comes in this afternoon. We are having red bush tea to contemplate Mma Ramwotse.

Pete's Pond Botswana

The Wild cam I referred to in my last post was down but now is back and the site says it will be extended into December. Take a look. And a hat-tip again to JAR for the ref.

Botswana

Our next book for our book circle discussion is The Full Cupboard of Life set in Botswana. Thanks to a reference by my blogging friend (we exchange comments! Thank you JAR!) I have found this wonderful, wonderful website where one can eavesdrop on animals in Botswana.

The first time I went to the site to look, it was dark there, about 7pm Botswana time, and there was a storm-you could hear the thunder rolling in the background. I thought, how marvelous. The sounds alone take you there. Then wonder of wonder a small elephant came strolling into view. Absolutely thrilling.

It should be a great source of discussion for the group if some of our members can look in on it first and for those that can't ( because they aren't on line or haven't the right plug ins) I can have the site up and they can take a look at it when we meet.

At Pete's Pond webcam in Botswana

UPDATE_ Since I wrote this but before I posted it unfortunately the camera has gone off line. That storm I think did it as it was the same day. Anyway..it does still show some video from the archives.

NaNoWriMo

Okay, I've done it. Signed as a participant in National Novel Writing Month at Nanowrimo

So I have to write 50,000 words in the month of November starting, like, midnight of Oct. 31! Can I do it? Well, my last challenge was to write a short story in 24 hours and I did that so I am hoping I will succeed at this challenge too.

I'm excited , I'm nervous and I haven't a crazy clue in my head about even what genre this novel will be but, well, it doesn't have to be good, it doesn't have to even make sense. Since my main problem is writing anything over about 2-3 K words I am hoping this will break the length barrier for me.

Wish me luck won't you?