Day 30 - A real sense of accomplishment

Today is the 30th of November – I’ve done a blog entry every day this month, allowing you the readers access to my journey of NanoWriMo for 2009 and it has also given me an outlet to look back at in the future. To hopefully gain something from this time next year when I write a blog entry on how Nano went for 2010!

That feeling I had in the early hours of the morning in blog titled ‘Awesome’ (See Nov 1st) in which I expressed how excited I was at the thought of writing a 50,000 word novel in thirty days, but also the excitement and apprehension of writing my first EVER novel. That excitement is still with me, and the apprehension is there somewhat in relation to ‘where do I go next’ but I take both feelings at this point as a good sign, even though I’m yet to complete my novel as such (At this rate I think it will sit around the 60K mark – however when I edit it will probably drop back to about 55K if I had to have a guess)

What I’m most proud of, is that I worked really hard at this. I did my home work before the 1st of November, with notes in my little note book of characters, and plots, how the stories would arc and link back etc, and I’ve taken those notes and created something that I’m really happy with.

My lead characters name was always going to be Zoey and I’ve stuck with that, However Heath had a few different names from Tom, through to Cooper. However it was Heath that stuck as it’s not a name you hear often, which I think is important. I mean honestly how many books have you read over your time with the lead character called ‘Edward’ yet I’m sure that will be the boy’s name of choice for the next 10 years, just as ‘Harry’ is very popular once again.


Anyway with today being the last day of Nano – I’ve not really written enough to change my final word count (I’ve produced another 600 words) but I’m happy. I’m happy with the mammoth effort of writing 50,000 words in 27 days. I’m happy to be able to say to people. I’ve written a 50,000 word novel, and overall for me personally I’m in a really good place right now. If this is the feeling writing brings to my life, then I’ll definitely be pursuing it in the future. Would I love to be a writer as a ‘job’ yes I would, but I’ll be realistic, I’ll study to be a research librarian and I’ll write novels at night, allowing others to step into my imagination.

To all of you who commented throughout my NanoWriMo journey. I thank you, as your comments and support really did help.

To those who ‘lurked’ I don't bite if you comment I promise!

I hope you enjoyed this month’s daily update. I will attempt to write more often as this outlet has been good for me.

That’s all I’ve got.

Post # 25 - Lest We Forget

Today is the 25th of April. In Australia and New Zealand it's a day for remembrance called ANZAC Day. What is ANZAC day I can hear some of you ask? Let me, let Wikipedia explain.

Anzac Day is a national public holiday in Australia and New Zealand, and is commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I and also to commemorate the soldiers who fought in France and Belgium.(Reference Link)

The 25th of April is an important day for Australians, its a day in which we get to reflect and pay homage to those men and women who lost their lives fighting in a war a long way from home. It's also a chance to say thanks to all war veterans who have fought not only in WWI (I'm not sure there's any remaining diggers alive today from WWI) - WWII, The Korean War, Vietnam, IRAQ (Sorry I don't know the full list off the top of my head) However today is the one day in the 365 days of the year that as a nation we stop and say thank you. If it wasn't for the men and woman of our defence forces I know that I'd quite possibly not live in the world in which I have the privilege to do so today.

So from the words of English poet and writer Laurence Binyon I leave you with:

The Ode from For the Fallen

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Liam aka LittleRadge

After I wrote a blog ages ago re going back in time to talk to your younger self (See entry called: Eight year old self) I wrote an e-mail to a YouTube user I’d been checking out from time to time called Littleradge. I’d stumbled across his blog long before I discovered he was a superstar on youtube. Anyway I e-mailed him asking if he’d be interested in doing a video re going back and giving your younger self some advice. Liam did this video yesterday and in his little blurb mentioned my user name on you tube. Over night the video views for my channel increased by 1,000 hits!



This young man is an extremely talented individual and from my brief correspondence with him he’s polite also. A quality essential to not only move forward, but to be respected in society today.

So I’d like to say thanks to Liam (Littleradge) for listening to a suggestion from a total stranger who doesn’t have a following at all on YouTube (which isn’t really that important) Taking that suggestion and making something out of it. Which by the look of the hits / comments on his YouTube site and also his blog is turning out to be quite a phenomenon.

That’s all I’ve got