Skip to main content

November's End

It seems when a month ends, I am forced to look back at what I have and have not accomplished.

This is probably because bills are due, salaries are paid, and the entire month HAS to be checked in order to be balanced.

It's the same for writing. And I know plenty of people who did NaNoWriMo this month. What is NaNo? It's this crazy and atrocious "task" of writing 50,000 words in thirty days.

It is grueling. It is annoying. And it is amazing to see those 50,000 words staring back at you by November 30th. Hat off to you folks! You're almost done.

I didn't accomplish NaNo, but that's alright. I went a different route and did thirty days of poems.

It's the first time for me doing this one. I don't do a whole lot, but I sure do like it. Poetry is fun because you can write it so many different styles, from prose to rhyme, haiku to ekphrastic.

I like to keep them short. Really short. Which is the complete opposite of NaNo.

Onto a different subject ...

I stepped out back to see the mess of leaves. We just had a storm, and are intended to have several more in the next three days.
 
But the orange tree sure is beautiful.
 
And the dog sure is happy.
 
 

Happy writing!- HJS
Labels:

Comments

  1. Kelley LynnDecember 1, 2012 at 9:02 PM

    Wow, 30 days of poems is amazing! I can't even write one poem :) haha COngrats

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heather SpivaJanuary 2, 2013 at 2:12 PM

      I bet you could do it! :) Thanks for the comment.

      Delete
  2. Shannon LawrenceDecember 7, 2012 at 6:16 PM

    Writing a poem a day is quite an undertaking! Sounds like fun.

    Shannon at The Warrior Muse

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shannon LawrenceDecember 7, 2012 at 6:17 PM

    By the way, it makes me want to pick a month and write a flash fiction story each day of the month. That would be more up my alley. I think I'll try it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heather SpivaJanuary 2, 2013 at 2:13 PM

      I like that! What a wonderful idea. Let me know if you ever come across a contest for that.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Characters That Work

I’ve heard countless times that agents, when looking for the next great manuscript and readers, looking for the next great read, want compelling characters. But, what does this mean? Compelling? And why have I never thought of characters as compelling when I can’t put the book down? Sure, these characters are amazing, and sometimes I want to be in the middle of the stories as if they were my own experiences. But why? Compelling characters make me --force me-- to be in love with them as they find their way through trials or charge fearlessly down hidden hallways and dark forests. This makes for wonderful literature, and for fascinated readers. But how do we do this? How do authors create compelling characters -- ones that not only we want to read but others too -- and convince our readers that they should care about them? Here’s a tiny list by which I try to strive: Make them human: This is a given. And most writers would tell you this is. Give your character flaws that lots o
32 comments
Read more

Increasing Your Vocabulary │ Overused Words

My husband and I have this running joke that if we played a drinking game for the first -- and only the first-- five minutes of any news segment, anywhere in America, we'd be under the table in two. Why? Because this drinking game is based on the repeated use of the word "impact." It's okay if you can hate me now. Because after this post, you will notice this word EVERYWHERE and how overused it is. I get it. The word is impactful. It makes a point. Pulls a punch. But ... it's beyond this, my friends. It's overwhelmingly beyond this now. I also understand that each decade has it's colloquial and trendy words. Totally understand that. I can dig that, yo. But, there's an all-out assault on this word. And most of the time, it's used incorrectly. Do you know what the word impact means? Per Merriam-Webster, it means 1.   a.: to fix firmly by or as if my packing or wedging   b.: to press together 2.   a.: to have a direct effect or i
1 comment
Read more

Make a List │ Getting Things Done

Like many of you, I am a list-maker. I find them to be one of the most rewarding things I can do in my little life. Well, that and drinking coffee and wearing vintage. But, I digress. List-making really only consists of three things: paper, a pen, and your brain. While there are myriad articles and books on tidying up and minimal living (both of which I fully embrace), living a simple and minimal life can also start just by making a list. So, why should you write a list? Three reasons: it's simple, it's in front of you, and anyone can be master of their world with one. Yes, dare I say master of your universe. Pretty amazing, right? That little list holds your sanity, order and clarity. And those are all we really need. Check out this list I wrote the other day: I listed the errands I had to run (go to post office, then to Salvation Army and Goodwill to find my vintage to sell). I listed the work I had to do (list two items items for sale on my vintage Etsy site,
1 comment
Read more