Vigilant Silver Fox

       More than 365.000 writers world-wide heard the challenge and joined the National Novel Writing Month's invitation to write 50,000 words for a brand new novel in a month.  Before hitting the road with my daughter, I met with some of the constituents of this event in my county. This group is a mix of the entire population. Veteran and non-veteran "nanowrimo-ers" equally are excited about taking on the task.        Those of us who are first timers are filled with questions. How do you enter you tally? Do you write an outline? What genre do you write? What is your main character like? How do you find uninterrupted writing time?       The group was a buzz with excitement. Many of the participants plan on be part of the Saturday writing sessions at local libraries. These are driven writers. All these folks are purpose-driven. They have a story stirring within and they want to let it explode on the page.        How many of the veterans completed 50,000 words? We

      Finally a great break through! After weeks of trying to figure out how my main character Sophie goes back in time, an article about National Novel Writing Month ignites my imagination. The new book will tell the tale of how and why Sophie decided to leave Chicago, Illinois and go to Salt Lake City, Utah.  Now what was the catalyst that got my "little gray cells" firing on all cylinders?        It was the National Novel Writing Month's (NaNoWriMo) challenge. Writers around the world are invited to write 50,000 words of a brand new novel in 30 days. Nothing like a challenge to help me out of my puddle of self pity. A few days of mulling around a few concepts about Sophie's departure and my brain is  firing faster than the supercollider.       The hardest part is not staring the actually writing. According to the rules you can't start writing until November 1. You must have 50,000 words written by November 30 by 11:59 p.m.  So while I am waiting I am resear

This is a crisis. The inner drive that makes me get up and run to my laptop to write is a whisper. The intuitive energy of the cosmos that makes me continue to work on a story or poem is lying dormant. The frustration of having an idea bubble forth at the most inconvenient times (e.g., while getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist) and not being able to jot it down has not been felt.  The exuberance of finding the right adjective or a crisp, clean, and clear dialogue for a character has eluded me.  HELP! My creativity is nearly on life support.  Searches on the Internet for cures, exercises, and remedies have been a lesson in futility.  WOW! Everyone has advice.  Everyone is an expert on the Internet. It takes a few minutes of browsing before you realize that help ranges from a $4,000.00 class to a sensory deprivation room to gain your creativity juices back.  Perhaps, this pause in my creative process is my muse making me stand still for a while. It's the