17,600 words--dragged out of me like a mule

One of the many reasons I love Stephanie Bearce is that she wrote a novel--a whole novel!--in 15 minutes a day.

She did this after her husband died.
She had two children to take care of on her own.
She was afraid.
She imagined she just wouldn't have the time and energy to write--even though writing was the work of her soul.



(Stephanie is in good company, by the way. The first woman who ever made her living as a writer, Christine de Pizan, did so because her husband died and she needed to take care of her children.)






I, on the other hand, have in this moment a family intact, and I make my living as a professor--which means that, denial notwithstanding, classes begin for me next week. The momentum of LyNoWriMo has dissipated after the LA conference, and it is weirdly absorbing to explore Twitter.

Still, there is that public humiliation thing. Many wonderful people have asked how the novel is coming. So I determined not to post again till I had written 1,000 more words.

Which I did! I finished yesterday, weaving them into a day full of laundry, just-missed appointments, overshot bus stops, water and kitten-food concoctions in every bathroom, serendipitous meetings with neighbors in the neighborhood library, and electronic gadget failures.

Whew.
Now I can turn up the volume again on my Tweet Deck.

Re-entry Things To Do

I'm taking the sage advice of Kathleen Duey, who is glorious both in presence and in person. She was the last keynote speaker at the Summer 2009 SCBWI Conference in LA.

(This is the conference where I took the master's class with Linda Sue Park, by the way--the whole reason for starting this blog and finishing [almost] my novel draft. More on that class to come.)

Here is my interpretation of what Kathleen advised:

• Write down bits of conversation you enjoyed--to help deepen your relationships with the people you enjoyed meeting.
• Annotate your notes--as soon as possible. (This is such good advice that I spent much of my three-day train trip home doing just that.)
• Write on the back of every business card you receive. If you're like me, you'll have to learn this the hard way. I have a huge stack of cards, and I'm doing internet searches to "friend" and "follow" them (on Facebook and Twitter). It's easier to push through the technology when I've made a note that reminds me when and how I met the human whom the card represents.
• Send thank-you notes. If you've met an author or editor or agent who spent a few minutes connecting with you, deepen that connection by letting her know you appreciate her time and wisdom.
• Get on Twitter. I know. I resisted, too. But honestly, just do it. (Six Reasons Why Every New Writer Should be on Twitter) Where did I find this article? By following @Inkyelbows on Twitter. In fact, make it easy on yourself to start: 1) Create twitter account at Twitter.com. 2) Follow @Inkyelbows (www.inkygirl.com). After that, just follow your heart.
  
• Print out the gems you hear and put them on your wall. (Or on your Facebook wall.)
• Google all things that make no sense to you. (This may include, for examle, "tweet deck.")
• Explain your intent to all your loved ones. Build social support.
  

This last one is hard, but I think it's the most important. Do you guys find it hard to ask for support?