A Giant Step Closer to The End

National Novel Writing Month officially ended November 30th at midnight and I skated in on the 29th with 50,140 words. Yay!! Although not quite finished my novel, participating in NaNoWriMo was an amazing time of writing and discipline. I'm thankful that I took the challenge. It taught me several things.

1. I can write when I don't "feel" like writing.
2. I'm able to work under a deadline.
3. Even if the words are not pure perfection, write anyway.
4. I can ignore the words that are not pure perfection and press on. Until the edit phase…
5. Amazing things happen when you let go and let the characters have their way. {grin}


Steps that helped me accomplish this feat.

1. Created daily achievable goals.
a. Decided on number of words – 50,000
b. Decided how many days of the month for writing. In my case, I used weekdays only.
c. Divided the number of days into the amount of words and came up with a daily word
count.
d. I created a spreadsheet with my daily cumulative goals and documented the numbers. Each morning I loaded the spreadsheet at the same time I loaded my manuscript. At any time, I could use the spreadsheet to quickly calculate how many words I needed to reach that day's goal.

2. Prayed
Each morning before I started writing, I prayed for God's words to flow from my fingers. Asked for His blessing on the writing.

3. Commitment
Committing each day to writing a specific number of words, helped me stay in the story and press through the "low" spots. Also committing to "finishing the race…"

4. Community
Knowing others were working as hard and under many of the same issues, made the journey easier.

5. Writing anyway—
Even when I knew the words were not the absolute best, when the dialogue lacked a little something, when I didn't feel like being creative, when I would have liked to do something else (like clean the bathroom), I learned to press on to meet the goals I'd set.

In other words, I gave myself permission to write.

To just write.

To open that vein and pour out the words. Sent my internal editor on an extended vacation where there were no communication lines! Let the story unfold. There's plenty of time later to bring the editor home and add or delete as needed.

To all of you who participated this year and met the 50K mark – A hearty Congratulations!!!

To those who didn't quite reach the mark -- Congratulations you've added to your story!

Housing Development - Update - Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Our Sleepy Little Town



Of course, today we remember all the blessings we've received and all the reasons we have to be thankful. If we said them all in prayer before our meal, our food would surely be cold before we've had a chance to name a small portion!

Here are more pictures of our new house.








Basement garage.







Peak facing the east.



Southern View




My Loft and peak facing the west!



Another shot of the northern part of Meeker. This is the southern view
from our lot.


I hope all of you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you continue to find at least one thing to be thankful for each morning. See if you can come up with ten. It will change the course of your day!

Blessings,
Marian

Prayer for Kristy Dykes

How often do we get to witness God's amazing power and strength?

That's what I've seen as I've followed the recent journey of a fellow ACFW member.

Her name is Kristy Dykes and she's a Christian writer. Her current story will bring you to tears.

Please, would you pray with me for a miracle for her?

See her blog for the complete story--A story of enduring love, unwavering faith, and complete trust.

Scroll down to November 7th for the beginning of the story.

http://christianlovestories.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html

NaNoWriMo - Update

Well, we're past the half-way mark and I've been able to keep my writing goals so far.



My current word count is 30,805. The Goal is 50,000 by the end of the month.



It's been a great experience and I'm glad I made the commitment to do this. I pray that I can continue at the pace I've been able to work!



I'll keep you posted...

Housing Development - Update

Things are moving forward in our house-building. The Lord has blessed us with amazing weather and our builder took advantage of a couple of those days.

The slab was poured a couple of weeks ago and I was able to add something to our foundation.

Within the center of our foundation, I was able to place a Bible opened to Jeremiah 29:11.

Jeremiah 29:11 (King James Version) King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain
11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

We've also been adding scripture within the walls.

God has blessed us beyond measure with his provision and we give Him the glory!

Sunset over Meeker...

NaNoWriMo

For those of you unfamiliar with NaNoWriMo, it is the National Novel Writing Month.

Novemeber each year is the month. Beginning tomorrow I will be participating in this encouraging endeavour.

The goal = To write a complete novel of 50,000 words during the month of November.

My goal = To add 50,000 words to my current work-in-progress, The Moon Has No Light.

Can I do this?

We shall see. Stay posted for weekly updates on word count.

Oh, yea, I'm open to any kind of encouragement, prayers, etc. You name it. I'll need all the help I can get to press through and DO IT!

The fun begins tomorrow!!!

Snowfall on Meeker

We were blanketed with snow on Sunday morning. Here are a few

pictures.

Our snow covered home!

Housing Development

ONE STEP CLOSER!

Here are the latest pictures of our house.

Well, soon to be house...

The basement walls are up! Yay!

Stay tuned for more housing developments as they happen.

Writer Motivation - Aspens in Autumn

We got our first snowfall here on Saturday night. The night of Meeker High's Homecoming Dance.

Last Sunday, my daughter and I drove to Trapper's Lake to view the colors of the changing trees. Here are a few of the pictures I took.

Enjoy!

Recently, this fella, along with two of his equally endowed buddies, came into town and grazed on our neighbor's lawn.

Along the Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway. My Favorite drive...well, one of my favorite.

Keep Writing. God has called YOU for "such a time as this."

Writer Motivation - A Writer's Conference

I've spent the past week polishing my proposal for Legacy of Grace to send to agents and editors I met at the ACFW Conference.

It's been a productive week, I've finished a Novella, White Christmas and will spend next week working to type THE END on a cozy mystery I started over a year ago.

There' something about attending a writer's conference that gets those creative juices flowing to complete those unfinished projects.

Once the cozy is complete, I'll return to my women's fiction work in progress, The Moon Has No Light.

Here are a few more pictures from the conference.

This is the awesome Mentor Group 4. I've been blessed to be part of this group for the past 3 years. I attribute much of my growth as a writer to these wonderful writers.

Me, Mary Davis (Our Marvelous Mentor), and Jan Warren

This year a sweet generous lady asked me to room with her. I'd met her at last year's conference and immediately loved her. She's pictured below on the right, Carrie Turansky.

Also in the picture is another writer I had the privlege to meet this year, Vickie McDonough.

Vickie McDonough and Carrie Turansky

My dear friend, who always makes me feel so special--Rebecca Yauger. I even got to meet her hubby!

Here's me and Becky at the awards banquet.

Deborah Vogts and I met a couple of years ago, but this year we were able to spent some time together. I thank God that we did. I got to see what a sweetheart she really is and how she has such a passion for her writing.

Deb and I at the awards banquet.

Here I am with my sweet friend Heather Diane Tiption. Seems retreats and writer's conference are the only time we see each other, but amazingly, we always pick up right where we left off.

I'm glad to see she's coming into her own. Way to Go, Heather.

I had such a wonderful time in fellowship with great writer friends. Although tired, I came home thankful that God has placed me on this incredible journey...Had he not, I wouldn't have met the terrific people He's placed in my path!

ACFW Conference

Recently, I attended the American Christian Fiction Writers conference in Dallas, TX.
Spending three days with over 400 writers was both exhausting and exhilarating!

I managed to attend a few workshops and picked up a great new writing tips and techniques. But the fellowship with writer friends was priceless.

Saturday evening's award banquet was as exciting as promised. I enjoyed watching my friend and critique partner receive the Mentor of the Year award and another critique partner win 1st place in the Contemporary Category of the Genesis Contest!

Congratulations Linda Kozar – Mentor of the Year (on the Right)

Congratulations Jennifer Griffith (on left)–First Place Contemporary Fiction for Gumbo Ya Ya.

Here's a complete list of winners:

Contemporary Romance (includes romantic comedy)

3rd place: Jennifer Hudson Taylor, By His Plan

2nd place: Jennifer Lynn Cary, On The Court

1st place: Audra Harders, Rough Ride



Historical Romance


3rd place: Audra Harders, Precious Possessions


2nd place: Jennifer Hudson Taylor, Promised Blessings


1st place: Pam Hillman, Stealing Jake's Heart





Romantic Suspense


3rd place: Suzan Robertson, The Circle Game


2nd place: Dineen Miller, Manna Reign


1st place: Marci J. Burke, Shadow of Doubt



Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Allegory


3rd place: Rebecca Grabill, Out of Darkness


2nd place: Chris Mikesell, Revival


1st place: Sally A. Apokedak, The Kisses of an Enemy



Historical Fiction


3rd place: Marcia Gruver, Love Never Fails AND Yvonne Anderson, Mom's Mirror


2nd place: Tina Helmuth, Hidden Snares


1st place: Carla Stewart, A Dandelion Day





Young Adult


3rd place: Sally Apokedak, Prisoners of the Throne


2nd place: Linda Fulkerson, The Rod of Schmazel


1st place: Rachael Phillips, Song of the Orphan Train



Contemporary Fiction


3rd place: Myra Johnson, Pearl of Great Price


2nd place: Angie Poole, Gravehopping With Myrna


1st place: Jennifer Griffith, Gumbo Ya Ya





Women's Fiction


3rd place: Kathleen Sprout, The Choice


2nd place: Ane Mulligan, When the Wind Blows


1st place: Kristine Pratt, Identity Theft



Mystery/Suspense/Thriller


3rd place: Janet Rubin, Beneath the Steeple


2nd place: Gina Holmes, Deception Burning


1st place: Jane Robertson, Curst Be the Tie



Chick/Mom/Hen/Lady Lit


3rd place: Jenness Walker and Tracy Bowen, Bliss


2nd place: Georgiana Daniels, Honey Do Inc.


1st place: Carrie Padgett, Oh Shop It

Congratulations to all the Winners!!!





A special note to those that entered and did not win: You are winners also. It takes courage to send your words for someone else to judge. I hope you've reviewed the critiques and found amazing ways to improve your work.





Keep pressing for improvement. God calls us to give Him our best. From there He takes care of the rest...

More from Meeker, CO

Good Morning from Meeker!

Although this is a small town I haven't met a whole lot of people, probably because I've been holed up in our house working on my synopsis and honing the first three chapters of my latest WIP (work in progress) The Moon Has No Light . It's the story of a women whose child is abducted and after twenty years she still grieves his disappearance. Image her shock when he walks into a restaurant where she's having dinner! I'm planning to pitch this story, as well as, my other completed work, Legacy of Grace, at the upcoming ACFW writer's conference in Dallas. To all my writer friends—looking forward to seeing you there!

Here are more pictures of the beautiful scenery in and around Meeker. Enjoy!


















This week is the Meeker Sheepdog Championship Trials

This is an international championship and teams from Canada, Switzerland, South Africa, and Scotland venture to the small town of Meeker to compete. Sheep are brought into town from the high mountain pastures to be led by the various team's dog. Interesting to watch.
I'll be volunteering tomorrow, so I'll have pictures for you soon.


Here's the lot where our new house will be built. Groundbreaking started last week and lasted for a short time before the backhoe broke. I keep trying to remember if I prayed for patience at some time…

This will be our view from our deck!

Until next time - Keep writing, keep praying, and keep reaching out.

A River Flows Through It...

We've finally moved! It's been an exhausting, but good experience. Our family has settled into a rental in Meeker, Colorado while our new home is being built. Fun, fun.

Meeker's population is approximately 2500. Salute!!

Nestled in the White River Valley, it has many awesome views.

The White River actually flows through town—So beautiful.

Yesterday, I started a new Bible study, Beth Moore's Breaking Free. I packed a lunch and found a cool place to begin this wonderful study. It also seems appropriate to start such a study in this wide-open adventurous place, but also in a place of quiet and solitude. Plenty of time and places to "BE STILL AND KNOW…"

Here's a picture of my view and my quiet little corner.

I'm not sure what God has planned for me here, but I wait in joyful anticipation because I know it's going to be grand.

The View from the Top is SO worth it!

Recently my daughter and I visited my son and daughter-in-law who live on Oahu. The first "adventure" my son choose for us was a hike to the top of Diamondhead. For this out-of-shape writer, I was a little doubtful that I'd make it to the top.

During the rocky and uneven path, I kept my gaze focused on each step. My son and daughter's encouraging words kept me going. Whenever I huffed and puffed and needed to sit my son would say, "Mom, the view from the top is worth it."


The rest breaks and the encouragement gave me the motivation to press on. Before long, my gaze shifted from the uneven path at my feet to the world around. It was amazing to see how far I'd climbed and the view from each stopping point. Something I would have missed had I only focused on the climb and stepping in just the right spot.

Also knowing that a rest break was "just around the bend" helped to keep me going.


As I absorbed the striking blues of the ocean and sky, the greens of the lush mountains, and the contrast of the skyscrapers of Waikiki and Honolulu from the top of Diamondhead, the discomfort I'd experience to get up there was instantly forgotten.




Climbing to the top of that crater reminded me of the importance of giving and getting encouragement. Too often in our Christian walk, we forget to enjoy the journey by resting with our brothers and sisters. We also miss the opportunity to encourage them with reminders that the view from the top is worth it.


During the hike down, whenever I encountered someone sitting on a bench laboring to catch their breath, I couldn't resist stopping to say, "The view is worth it, keep going."



Is there someone in your life that needs encouragement today?

Genesis Contest Finalists

For those who haven't gotten the news, the Genesis writing contest sponsored by the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) has been announced.

Below is a list of the finalists.

I wish you all the best in the contest and look forward to hearing the winners announced at the ACFW Conference in September at the Marriot in Dallas. For more information see www.acfw.com

Contemporary Romance (includes romantic comedy)
Jennifer Lynn Cary
Audra Harders
Catherine Hershberger
Roxanne Sherwood
Jennifer Hudson Taylor

Historical Romance
Linda Fulkerson
Audra Harders
Pam Hillman (double finalist in Historical Romance)
Jennifer Hudson Taylor

Romantic Suspense
Sally Bradley
Marci J. Burke
Dineen Miller
Dani Pettrey
Suzan Robertson

Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Allegory
Sally A. Apokedak
Valerie Comer
Rebecca Grabill
Shannon McNear
Chris Mikesell

Historical Fiction (not romance)
Yvonne Anderson
Marcia Gruver
Tina Helmuth
Carla Stewart
Erica Vetsch

Young Adult
Sally Apokedak
Leigh DeLozier
Linda Fulkerson
Charlene Glatkowski
Rachael Phillips

Contemporary Fiction
Michael Ehret
Jennifer Griffith
Kathy Harris
Myra Johnson
Angie Poole

Women's Fiction
Lynne Gentry
Ane Mulligan
Kristine Pratt
Kathleen Sprout
Ginger Vaughan

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Martha Pope Gorris
Gina Holmes (double finalist in Mystery/Suspense/Thriller)
Jane Robertson
Janet Rubin

Chick/Mom/Hen/Lady Lit
Georgiana Daniels
Annalisa Daughety
Sabrina Fox-Butcher
Carrie Padgett
Jenness Walker and Tracy Bowen

Congratulations to all the 2007 Genesis finalists!