I find it interesting that the short story I am working on is my slowest work and the one that rattles my confidence. I feel at this time I approach it from its blind spot and poke at it a little every day.

I’m not much of a short story writer. I was discouraged from writing fiction early on, and I’ve not yet confidently shaken that. To finish this piece and then to return to it in a month is one of my goals.

Every moment was filled today and still so many words. Today I tried talk-to-text for one of the essays, and I have to say it took me longer than it would have to write or type it. I felt more aware of how right or wrong everything sounded, and I began meta-crafting and editing and criticizing my work. I wonder if that is a function of that particular essay’s topic or of the talking process. I’ll revisit.

I love NaNoWriMo. I do not look forward to Dedit-cember.

Today’s Stats:

• Essay: “The Real Christmas Newsletter” 209 words
• Essay: “The Circle of Life: From Lonely Cheese Back to Farmer in the Dell Again” 1862 words
• Short Story: “Pie Trauma” (working title) 1084 words

Daily Word Count: 3155

Total Word Count: 21, 737

We’re about three hours into skeet shooting season here in the town where I live. I know this because every damn shot makes me jump, and I’ve been jumping a lot today.

It has made writing a challenge today. I can’t focus on any one piece adequately, so I’m hopping around, adding a little here, throwing in a paragraph there, starting something new. My work is edgy today. Slow. Angry.

And I’m shot, if you’ll pardon the pun. I hope I’ll be able to get a few more words in later today, maybe as the sun goes down and the skeets are all dead, but I have more words written than I did at the beginning of the day, and that’s something.

Also, I’m enjoying giving my writing silly working titles.

Today’s Stats:

• Essay: “Pinatas and Glitter Girls” 614 words
• Essay: “Processing the Leftovers” 1051 words
• Essay: “Betty Off-Her-Crocker” 1156 words

Daily Word Count: 2821

Total Word Count: 18,582

I’m trying to let “Go with it” flow over me as I get older.

Crazy writing idea? Go with it.

Nutty dance party breaks out during the PTO meeting? Go with it.

Day ten of being awoken by a child’s hacking, painful cough and/or nightmare and then being unable to go back to sleep? Yeah…

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Littlest Little has a cough that sounds like she’s got a 70-year-old smoker caught in her little throat, and of course, it’s worst at night, especially at 2 am. I lie with her, rub her back, give her one of the few medicines approved for kids under the age of six, and wait for an hour for it to kick in so she can sleep.

By 3 this morning, she was snoring somewhat peacefully. I, on the other hand, couldn’t fall back asleep, so I dragged my carcass out of bed and got to the computer.

I got a lot done in the three hours before everyone else started their day, and, allowing for my own sleep-deprivation-twinged-eye, it’s actually the first thing I’ve written this NaNo that I am sure I will submit. I may even break it into several pieces, as right now, it’s reading like the longest chapter in a David Sedaris book, with its winding and its odd tangents and yanks back to the main storyline.

I am in no way saying it’s anywhere near as good as Sedaris’s writing. I’ve just been enjoying his work of late and decided to try something a la Sedaris.

And now, as I’ve tried to tend to kids most of the day, all of whom are in various states of wellness, I’m tired. And as their father is out of town, I’m on my own. It’s good to stop while the ideas are still there and while I still have enough to give to three little faces who need tending. I’ve got plenty of things to write about tomorrow. There will be no blank pages taunting me in the morning when I sit down to write.

Hopefully at a more godly hour.

Today’s Stats:

• Essay: “Processing the Leftovers” 3402 words
• Short Story: “Pie Trauma” (working title) 422 words

Daily Word Count: 3824

Total Word Count: 15,761