Where I'm Going From Here

Well, it has been over six months since I last updated this blog and I have suddenly been struck with some writing inspiration for two different projects: my NaNoWriMo story and a blog series. I thought writing about them might help me figure out where to go from here. I've been struggling with what to write here, so I think I'll play it safe and write about writing.


My NaNoWriMo Story

I wouldn't call this collection of over 50,000 words a book. Not yet, anyway. I read it last week (for the first time!) and I'd say that I have 118 pages of ideas, characters and conversation that need a little something more to tie them together. There were parts that made me laugh with myself and parts that made me laugh AT myself. I'd been avoiding reading it because I thought it was all garbage, but I was surprised to find that there are some good, promising sections in there.

One thing that was certain was that the story really needs to be narrowed down in focus. It was very apparent that I was still finding my voice and trying things out all the way to the last page. Which is fine, honestly! That's part of the process. For a long time though, I felt like I was done with that particular story and that I didn't want to put in the work necessary to make it something better.

But now I'm starting to feel differently.

After I finished the last page, I had a desire to keep working on it. I've always felt unsettled about how I left it and unsure of how to tie things up. It had a bleak ending with no real message, at least not a positive one. And that's not how I roll, you may have noticed. I'm pretty dang optimistic. So as I sat there trying to figure out what to do with it, I realized that it is not over yet. I realized that I can't leave my characters stuck in the troubling situations I put them in.

So I'm not done with them yet. In fact, I think I may only be halfway through telling their story. And I think some people I felt were main characters need to take a few steps back while some of the background and "filler" characters, per se, need to have the light shined on them a little more.

Lucky for me, my dear friend Clare, who was with me every step of the way on my initial NaNoWriMo journey and who I had the pleasure of meeting face to face in June, sent me this great gift that I think will help me figure out where to go next.

With this book in hand, I'm going to see if I can't figure out where Taylor and Maddie (my two main characters) end up next. I'll let you know how it goes :)


A Blog Series

A while back, I did a blog series called Faces of Homeschooling. I wanted to know what life was like for other homeschooling families and I thought it would be fun to share these little "interviews" with the 3 people who read my blog. I had a lot of fun with it. Now I want to sort of take that idea and expand on it.

I am fascinated by people and what they do. Not just what job or career they have, but what the inner workings of their days look like, how they spend their time, how they got to where they are, and where they would like to go next. I would love to interview people and share what they do with others.

In fact, while brainstorming this topic, a book I used to read my girls popped into my head. The story was about a cow who is tired of living on the farm and looking for a new place to belong. She runs into many animals along her journey and asks them, "Who are you and what do you do?" as she tries to discern where she will fit in best. I feel like I am at a point where I personally have an idea of how to answer those and that makes me all the more curious how others would respond.

What experiences have shaped you, how do you spend your days, where are you headed?

Those questions will be the inspiration behind this new blog series when I get it rolling. I think an interview format is best and I can see this being suitable for video rather than text. I would love to talk to a wide variety of people, representing different ages and experiences. I think talking to different people and sharing what their lives are like can create an opportunity for empathy and understanding.

If this sound like something you (or someone you know) would like to be a part of, please leave a comment. Everyone out there has something to share. On the flip side, if you have a burning question for people in general, please share it with me. I have some ideas but I'd like to cast the net wide.


A New Name

Finally, I am wondering if it might be time to rename this space. Too long, didn't write was a name I chose because I've historically had trouble finishing things that I start. But in November, I wrote 50,000 words of a story. And I have thousands more to go. So that would fit under my old heading of Too long, DID write. Anyway, a rebrand seems right.  I'll be brainstorming where to take this. Let me know if you have any thoughts.

Too long, DID write - Week 4

Hello friends! I hope you all have had a great week and a nice Thanksgiving too!

It's been a busy week over here! Between feeling sick one day and celebrating Thanksgiving another, I skipped writing two days. I thought it would be better to just skip than to write halfheartedly. I appreciate your understanding :)

Only one day remains for the 30 Day Blogging Challenge! Wow! This month has gone by quickly. I don't think I'll write every single day this next month, but I do plan to continue writing frequently. It's been a lot of fun. I hope you've enjoyed my blog as much as I have! Fellow bloggers, I highly recommend you join Sark e Media's Blogging Challenge. You get an informative email each day (usually with a challenge to try) and a supportive community to help you along your journey as a blogger.

I also wanted to let you all know that I am on the brink of being ready to reveal the next chapter of Faces of Homeschooling! I'm just waiting on a few pictures and then I'll be ready to give you a peek into the lives of some very interesting homeschooling families. 

And now, here's a recap of what I DID manage to write this week :)

Day 1 

 27 Helpful Things Cats Do 

A fun list of obnoxious helpful things that my pesky pets have done in the short 20 months we've been cat owners.  

Day 2 

 I am thankful 

I reflect on what I am grateful for this year. 

Day 3 

 Do Whatever You Want Day 

I explain the details of a fabulous new holiday that you will NOT want to miss!

Day 4 

Six Useful Things I Really Want for Christmas 

 I describe some really wonderful dream items that are on my wish list this year. 

So there you have it! Take a minute to catch up on what you've missed, and be sure to follow Too Long, Didn't Write on Facebook so you don't miss out on future posts!

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge. 

Too long, DID write - Week 3

I can't believe it is Day 22 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge. I am almost finished! Wow.

This week, it was very hard to stay on top of my writing. We celebrated Thanksgiving with my family, my daughter turned 7 and my husband took the day off work to celebrate, I subbed at a Homeschool Enrichment Center, I had a sore throat and cold, and we still had all the regular activities- karate, gymnastics, Awana, park day, piano lessons. It was a pretty intense week until Friday.

Friday was funny. We were all exhausted from the busy week. I thought we might just lounge about some, but it turned out to be the most productive school day of the week! We did all our regular subjects and added in a new Geography curriculum, tried out a new History book, and Lydia asked if we could do a page from her previous Letter of the Day curriculum. We had a lot of fun. It's funny how it feels good to get back into the old routine after a busy week. We even went to Ikea where we purchased some utility carts for the girls to use in their rooms.

One of the biggest accomplishments of the week was finishing Dragonfly in Amber, a book I've been reading for months. It was over 900 pages long.

I did manage to write each day this week, and only one day was a cop out :) I even got to work on my Faces of Homeschooling project and have several interesting interviews in the works. I'm hoping to get one published this week, but I know my families are busy with the holiday, so we will see. I think it'll be worth the wait.

Here's what you missed this week!

Day 1: Why do I buy my kids toys? - Toys. Everywhere. Why do I keep doing this to myself?!

Day 2: Faces of Homeschooling: The Franzen Family - I start out my Faces of Homeschooling project by giving you a look at my own family and how we approach school!

Day 3: Questions and Answers - I ask for feedback on a few things and give an update after a busy week. 

Day 4: You can be good at some things and you can not be good at some things - I share an insightful interview with my 4-year-old daughter. 

Day 5: A haiku - A bit of a poetic cop out ;)

Day 6: In which I struggle to use photo editing software - I receive an early Christmas gift that will hopefully snazz up my blog and reflect on my very first website. 

Despite the fact that we've got a holiday this week and my husband has two and a half days off, I've got lots of exciting ideas to write about! Be sure not to miss any- sign up to follow my blog. Email and feed options are located on the sidebar! Click here to find me on Facebook.

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge. 

Too long, DID write - Week 2

The quilt was almost a year in the making and the kid has taken 7 years ;)

It's been a really busy week.  It's funny how a kid's birthday can take up quite a bit of time if you let it! We celebrated my eldest daughter's 7th birthday with two parties at our place and also celebrated Thanksgiving with my family. I am full of cake :)

Despite all this, I managed to write every day and actually get quite a bit accomplished. I finished a quilt I started almost a year ago, came up with a new idea for a writing project, cleaned the house, finished reading two books, made enough cake to feed an army and watched the first volume of Outlander. Frankly, it was a great week!

Here's what you missed this week! There have only been five posts since the last Too Long, DID Write, but next week it will even out :)

Day 1 - Homeschooling is for Crazy People Part 1 - I begin a new series and tell about the pros and cons of ALWAYS having your kids around. 

Day 2 - Homeschooling is for Crazy People Part 2 - I divulge the many ways in which homeschooling has the power to completely overtake your life. 

Day 3 - Don't give up, 'cause it'll all work out - In a moment of discouragement, I find hope in a song from my past. 

Day 4 - Faces of Homeschooling - A Call for Input - An idea for an exciting new project hits me and I welcome ideas and questions from my readers. I would love for you to take a look and share your thoughts in the comments!

Day 5 - Book Problems - I struggle to find time to read. I must admit that this post inspired me to sit down and finish a book I've been working on for a while.

Don't forget to share with others who would enjoy and sign up in the sidebar to receive my email updates! Or, follow Too Long, Didn't Write on Facebook, if that's your thing. 

Have a great week! 

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge.

Too long, DID write - Week One

As you probably know, I am currently taking part in the 30 Day Blogging Challenge. The challenge is to write in your blog every day for 30 consecutive days and the idea is that you will grow as a blogger! So far, I have found that to be very true. What's cool about this particular challenge is that I signed up with Sark e Media and I receive daily emails with encouragement, inspiration and ideas for developing my blog. Each email includes some sort of "challenge" that will help me on this quest.

Today's challenge was to create a recap of the past seven days' blog entries. I never would have thought to try this, but I like a challenge, so here goes! If I like it, I'm going to call it "Too long, DID write" (in honor of all the words I managed to get down despite the chaos of my life) and share a recap each week :) I'll probably choose to do this on Sundays.

Here are the posts you may have missed this week:

Day 1: In which I attempt to get paid for writing - I describe what happens the first time I submit an article online with the hopes of being published!

Day 2: Who am I? - Here I describe myself using a series of "I am" statements that help you get to know me, the gal on the other side of the screen.

Day 3: Goals for November - I decide that setting annual goals for myself is a daunting and ineffective tasks and decide to set monthly goals instead.

Day 4: 5 Times Being a Parent Pays Off - I describe five parenting situations that balance out all the sleepless nights, giant messes, and whining.

Day 5: The mini fridge shall set you free - I tell the embarrassing story of a time that inflexibility during a trip made everything much worse than it needed to be! Say hello to vulnerability ;)

Day 6: Jamberry Nail Wraps - My Honest Review - I take the time to review a unique product that adds a little flair and fun to my sometimes mundane life.

Day 7: 6 Keys to Making Beautiful Cupcakes at Home - I give away some cake decorating secrets that I've learned over the years to help you snazz up cupcakes for your next celebration.

Day 8: Reflections on 8 Consecutive Days of Writing - I reflect on what I've learned so far from this writing challenge.

Never miss out on another blog post! Get my ramblings sent straight to your inbox by signing up in the "Follow by Email" section on the right hand side of the page. Happy Monday!

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