Things To Do In October --

Also known as, projects I want/need to finish before NaNoWriMo begins.  In no particular order, my to-do list is as follows:

1. Finish last year's NaNovel.  This novel has been driving me crazy in recent months.  I want to finish it before this year's adventure begins.  However, I also need to finish it because my novel for 2010 is loosely tied to the 2009 one.  I won NaNo last year with 53,700 words and then barely touched the book for months.  It was weird to me but I was just burned out on the story, I guess.  Then, during the summer, I was writing it again and then hit another wall.  I only have about ten percent of the story left to tell.  I even know what is going to happen in the book.  And yet, every time I sit down to finish the darn thing - nothing comes out the way I want it to.  It's very frustrating and I know I'm being whiny about it.  Sigh.

2. Submit to Penguin U.K.  I learned about this from my friend Julia at Find Your Next Good Read.  Penguin is accepting unsolicited work through October 31st.  I have a non-NaNo manuscript that I have been shopping around to submit here.  I just have to write the query letter and submit.  I'll be doing that this week.

3. This Saturday is Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon.  I am participating in this and very excited about doing so.  I am also hosting a mini-challenge for the read-a-thon between 4 and 6 p.m Pacific time.  So I also need to prepare my challenge.  I should say finish preparing it.  My husband and our oldest daughter helped me get it started on Sunday.  Thank goodness for a wonderful, understanding family.

4. Do a plot line and possibly a character analysis for the new NaNovel.

5. If I find time amongst all of this and the daily family responsibilities - I'm going to enter a short story contest.

I wonder if I'm a little crazy.  Actually, I'm pretty sure I am but that;s just part of being a creative writer.  At least that's what I'm telling myself and my family and friends.  I wouldn't have it any other way, though.