One Week to Go...
Yes, that's right; my birthday is only one week away! Is it sad that I get as excited for my birthday now that I'm *cough* 28 *cough* as I did when I was five? I don't think so. Yes, the number keeps getting larger, but amazing things have happened to me over the past years and the future is bright with the promise of more amazing things!
One of those amazing things was discovering NaNoWriMo. A crazy, month-long, 50,000 word noveling frenzy. It was November 2006 and I was knee-deep in papers, projects and teaching experiences for college. I didn't have time to write a 50,000 word novel, but I took the challenge anyway. And it was a blazing success! Over 60,000 words into a ghost story called The Library on Shadow Hill. On December 1, all the papers I had been pushing off and lesson plans that were only half-written screamed to be taken care of in the mere week before finals and my novel was put on the back burner. I was determined to come back to it when school was over and get it finished in time to use my free proof copy. Well, life intervened and before I knew it, November had returned. 2007 was a dismal failure. Not even 20,000 words were managed in The Christmas Blanket between lesson-planning and trying to please my cooperating teacher, supervisor, and work part-time to cover what my student loans didn't. I set that one on the back, back burner after graduating and then the unthinkable happened. My computer died, taking with it all the writing I had done over the past few years. In misery, I stopped writing until my mother overheard me telling my little brother a bedtime story.
"You need to write that down," she said. So I began feverishly writing Charming Academy saving it to the computer, a thumb drive and emailing it chapter by chapter to my sister so that it would not go the way of The Christmas Blanket and The Library on Shadow Hill. In 2009, determined not to be a "rebel" I started Like Stars That Glitter and on December 1 jumped right back into Charming Academy. In 2010, desperate to get it finished, I had my first "rebel" NaNoWriMo and added another 51,000 words to the giant Charming Academy file. By June 2011 it was finished and the free proof copy on its way to my apartment. Friends and family waited anxiously to see the book that I had been working on for so long.
Since the release of Charming Academy, I have continued to write, each year taking the NaNoWriMo challenge. I haven't been very successful since having my children as it is more important for me to spend time with them nurturing and loving them than it is for me to write for hours at a time. But as I set up schedules and times that I'm free to write, usually when my sweetheart is home to take care of our children, I find myself falling back in the rhythms that will allow for 50,000 word months. I eagerly look forward to November and giving 50,000 another go. But in the meantime, NaNoWriMo has made it possible to get in some practice, as well as allowing for writers who can't devote their November to mad-hat noveling a chance to feverishly write their novels in Camp NaNoWriMo. It's the same basic idea as NaNoWriMo, though this year there is the added bonus of choosing your own word-count goal. Having two children at home and a big family vacation coming up in July, I am very grateful that I can set that goal a little lower than 50,000. In fact, my July goal is 20,000 which should still be a nice challenge for me between ten days on vacation and my sweet babies needing my time and energy.
I owe a lot to NaNoWriMo for helping me not only find my "voice" but also giving me the courage to share it. This is why I'm asking for donations to help fund Camp NaNoWriMo. It's a program that promotes literacy and encourages writers to find their "voice" and share it. I'm not the world's greatest author. I may never grace the New York Times' Bestseller List. And that's okay. I can still share my stories, my "voice" and make an impact in the world. You don't have to be a superhero to make a difference. You just need to be you. Stand where you are and take the challenges life throws you. And along the way you'll make a difference in the lives of those around you, whether or not you realize it.
This month for my birthday I want to make a difference. I'm asking you to visit my fundraising page, www.stayclassy.org/JessicaLElliott, and make a small donation to fund a great program. It doesn't have to be a lot, even ten dollars will make a difference. If you don't have that in your budget, don't worry. I'm also looking to decorate my writing desk and would love to have postcards to put on it. Go to the contact page of my website (www.JessicaLElliott.com/Contact) and send a postcard to the address listed.
Don't forget that there are goodies for the donors:
~~All donors will get to pick a character name for my November novel. I'm still piecing together what this story will be, but it will be great fun and you can have a part of it!
~~All donors will be entered into a drawing for one of three original illustrations (by me) which will be sent to you by mail. There will be one illustration for each of the books that are currently out: Charming Academy, Finding Prince Charming and Mischief, Mayhem and NOT Burning the House Down. There will be three winners, one for each of the illustrations.
~~All donors will get my heartfelt thanks and the knowledge that I will have a fabulous birthday knowing that together, we've made a difference! :)
One of those amazing things was discovering NaNoWriMo. A crazy, month-long, 50,000 word noveling frenzy. It was November 2006 and I was knee-deep in papers, projects and teaching experiences for college. I didn't have time to write a 50,000 word novel, but I took the challenge anyway. And it was a blazing success! Over 60,000 words into a ghost story called The Library on Shadow Hill. On December 1, all the papers I had been pushing off and lesson plans that were only half-written screamed to be taken care of in the mere week before finals and my novel was put on the back burner. I was determined to come back to it when school was over and get it finished in time to use my free proof copy. Well, life intervened and before I knew it, November had returned. 2007 was a dismal failure. Not even 20,000 words were managed in The Christmas Blanket between lesson-planning and trying to please my cooperating teacher, supervisor, and work part-time to cover what my student loans didn't. I set that one on the back, back burner after graduating and then the unthinkable happened. My computer died, taking with it all the writing I had done over the past few years. In misery, I stopped writing until my mother overheard me telling my little brother a bedtime story.
"You need to write that down," she said. So I began feverishly writing Charming Academy saving it to the computer, a thumb drive and emailing it chapter by chapter to my sister so that it would not go the way of The Christmas Blanket and The Library on Shadow Hill. In 2009, determined not to be a "rebel" I started Like Stars That Glitter and on December 1 jumped right back into Charming Academy. In 2010, desperate to get it finished, I had my first "rebel" NaNoWriMo and added another 51,000 words to the giant Charming Academy file. By June 2011 it was finished and the free proof copy on its way to my apartment. Friends and family waited anxiously to see the book that I had been working on for so long.
Since the release of Charming Academy, I have continued to write, each year taking the NaNoWriMo challenge. I haven't been very successful since having my children as it is more important for me to spend time with them nurturing and loving them than it is for me to write for hours at a time. But as I set up schedules and times that I'm free to write, usually when my sweetheart is home to take care of our children, I find myself falling back in the rhythms that will allow for 50,000 word months. I eagerly look forward to November and giving 50,000 another go. But in the meantime, NaNoWriMo has made it possible to get in some practice, as well as allowing for writers who can't devote their November to mad-hat noveling a chance to feverishly write their novels in Camp NaNoWriMo. It's the same basic idea as NaNoWriMo, though this year there is the added bonus of choosing your own word-count goal. Having two children at home and a big family vacation coming up in July, I am very grateful that I can set that goal a little lower than 50,000. In fact, my July goal is 20,000 which should still be a nice challenge for me between ten days on vacation and my sweet babies needing my time and energy.
I owe a lot to NaNoWriMo for helping me not only find my "voice" but also giving me the courage to share it. This is why I'm asking for donations to help fund Camp NaNoWriMo. It's a program that promotes literacy and encourages writers to find their "voice" and share it. I'm not the world's greatest author. I may never grace the New York Times' Bestseller List. And that's okay. I can still share my stories, my "voice" and make an impact in the world. You don't have to be a superhero to make a difference. You just need to be you. Stand where you are and take the challenges life throws you. And along the way you'll make a difference in the lives of those around you, whether or not you realize it.
This month for my birthday I want to make a difference. I'm asking you to visit my fundraising page, www.stayclassy.org/JessicaLElliott, and make a small donation to fund a great program. It doesn't have to be a lot, even ten dollars will make a difference. If you don't have that in your budget, don't worry. I'm also looking to decorate my writing desk and would love to have postcards to put on it. Go to the contact page of my website (www.JessicaLElliott.com/Contact) and send a postcard to the address listed.
Don't forget that there are goodies for the donors:
~~All donors will get to pick a character name for my November novel. I'm still piecing together what this story will be, but it will be great fun and you can have a part of it!
~~All donors will be entered into a drawing for one of three original illustrations (by me) which will be sent to you by mail. There will be one illustration for each of the books that are currently out: Charming Academy, Finding Prince Charming and Mischief, Mayhem and NOT Burning the House Down. There will be three winners, one for each of the illustrations.
~~All donors will get my heartfelt thanks and the knowledge that I will have a fabulous birthday knowing that together, we've made a difference! :)
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