Oops...

After the month-long writing frenzy that was Nanowrimo (which I WON by the way, in case you weren't aware), the computer and I have taken a much-needed break from one another. The truth is, as I was working on the Nano novel, another novel was forming itself in my brain. I spent the month reading the pep talks from the website, all of which spoke directly to me. It was as if the writers were inside my head. They understood how completely enthralled I was by the idea of writing a novel in a month... for the first three days. They then understood how, by the end of week one, I was already several thousand words behind, but they promised it was okay. By the end of the second week, they knew that I hated the book and the very idea of continuing on pained me in ways I couldn't even express without using many, many swear words. By the end of the third week, these pep-talk gods somehow knew that even though I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, that light was still tens of thousands of words away and I wasn't sure I was going to get finished. And then, when I did finish and felt like shouting it from the rooftops- though it would need to be in Spanish for anyone to understand me- they understood that too. They even told me it was okay to step away from the novel for a while, take a break, let it rest. Then, in January, I could start editing.

What they don't know is that, starting in January, I'm going to get to work on the next one. I am going to set myself another deadline, much like the 50,000 words in a month, because that seemed to work for me. I am not in any way DONE with the other one. But it is very personal and I discovered while writing it that I may not be completely ready to tell MY story just yet. I have been thinking about this a lot and it took me trying to write it to realize that there was no other time in my life (yet) that I could've written it. All these years that this story has been sitting there, I have not been ready. There wasn't enough to tell. And now, it still feels like somethings are missing- somethings are yet to happen.

So I've got the first 50,000 words. And I feel like a small weight has been lifted from my shoulders. This story, the one I've had inside me for so long, is out. It's on the page and it's free. And now it has to breathe. I think this will be my epic. Though it won't be as long as an epic. And it will still be funny.

Happy Boxing Day, and Merry (late) Christmas. Dave and I are spending this part of the holiday in England with his family. We left Guate and flew to Atlanta where we spent a very fast six days with my family and friends. It was too fast, but I'm glad to be here now, too. We had a lovely Christmas and spent today doing some shopping and going to see "Avatar". It was the second movie I've seen in as many months which depicts the human race as malicious and self-serving, the other being District 9. They were both almost painful to watch because I knew that they were true. They made me feel sick.

If you are a writer, check out the website www.nanowrimo.org. Their next big event is script writing month in April. Don't worry, I've already got my idea ready for that one!