Favorite Nooks

On the road today, so I'm sending out a quick little post with some of my favorite nooks and crannies from across the web - all favorite blogs of mine, that have become my frequent haunts over the last few weeks (and months, some of them):

Yearning for Wonderland:  Snarky, spleen-eating, Downton Abbey-loving, can't-remember-where-she-parked-her-Barouche-Box-and-in-which-century Anna Meade has a wonderful blog full of fairies, fiction, whimsy, yearning for yesteryear, and snark. Love this girl. You will too.

Amanda McCrina: Poli Sci student, movie aficionado and soon-to-be published author, Amanda writes concise, thoughtful posts on a host of topics. Having been privileged to be one of her beta readers for His Own Good Sword, I can also vouch for her giftedness as an insightful and incisive writer. Look for more about this savvy lady on my site in the coming weeks as she approaches her May publication date.

The Surly Muse: Keep Daniel Swensen's blog on speed dial for insightful articles and some of the most original flash-fiction I've ever read. (Don't believe me? Check out this one. Or maybe my personal favorite over here.) He writes phenomenal longer works too, as this happy beta-reader can tell you. Wish you could read them for yourselves...hopefully you will, and soon.

Going for Coffee: I wish I did live close enough to meet this gal for coffee in person. Jo-Anne Teal is one of the kindest, encouraging, most sweet-hearted writers I've met since joining Twitter*. Her blog exudes her natural sweetness and sincerity, and her flash fiction - though entirely hers and in that same calm tone - carries an extra edge that will surprise you at every turn. Go for coffee at her blog and sip some of her writing - you won't be disappointed.

Kristen Lamb: I discovered Kristen's website just the other day, and let me tell you: Kristen Lamb is sharp. She knows the publishing business. She's made mistakes and learned from them. Nor is she afraid to tell you about them, or which side of the prickly Mistake Fence you've fallen on. This lady has a LOT to share - including some great writing, the #MyWANA hashtag - and even some morbid hints about The Pants of Shame.**

* No, I was not paid to say that --- I mean it whole-heartedly! Seriously.

** Not for the faint of heart. Trust me.

Enjoy these stellar blogs - and then join them! Follow these savvy people on Twitter.

Then enjoy the knowledge that your Coolness Quotient just went through the roof.

You're welcome. :-)

3 Impossible Things Before Breakfast

NaNoWriMo

Alice is my hero - both the real Alice, and the perpetually blonde, blue-frocked gal with comfits in her apron pockets, immortalized by Lewis Carroll. (The real Alice, incidentally, had short, brown curly hair - the exact opposite of Tenniel's imaginings of her.) There are many reasons why Alice endures as one of the most iconic heroines in children's literature; but her greatest virtue (I think) is that she can believe the impossible, and does it routinely - every day before breakfast.

Today I commence my second annual NaNoWriMo marathon. In so doing I have, in one stroke, committed to believing three impossible things:

1. I believe I will find time to type a minimum of 1924 words on a non-work-related project on any given day. Usually the word minimum is 1667/day, but I have a four day road trip planned that will put me beyond reach of a computer, taking my NaNo days down to 26. So - 1924 words per day it is. With three jobs, it logistically seems impossible. But I also know where to steal from Peter to pay Paul (metaphorically speaking), so I stand convinced I can get it done.

2. I believe I can keep up that 1924 minimum every day for the entire month of November. An enthusiastic beginning is inevitable, but all marathons require stamina and endurance. I can steal from Peter to pay Paul for a few days, maybe a week or so; but can I keep it up all month? Well, I did it last year - and I had FIVE jobs then. So, what's my excuse? You say: "None." (That's what I thought.)

3. I believe I have a tale worth the trouble of writing down. In some ways, this is the biggest leap of faith. The word count is one thing; making time for it is another. But to believe at the outset that I have a coherent, believable tale that would interest others, is the biggest impossibility of all. It's also the virtue for which no one - in NaNo or out of it - can reward me at the end of this month. When NaNo is over, the hard work will have only just started. There will be layers of faith and frustration to push through before my manuscript is ready for beta readers, let alone professional eyes.

But that's why it's a leap of faith, right? An enormous leap. A leap so huge that even to believe in it is considered impossible.

That's why we should do as Alice, and believe in our impossible goals before breakfast every single day. Because even believing in your dreams does, at rock bottom, require practice.

What impossible things are you believing in today?