'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...'

I'm sure I've used that title before, but somehow it seemed right again today. I can't believe it's nearly the end of NOVEMBER! I haven't posted since the beginning of the month, I'm sorry - it seems to have FLOWN by, so quickly. In fact, I can't believe that it's only two weeks until the end of term now, and under a month until Christmas itself. Where have the weeks gone?

It's noticeably winter now though, here in the UK. It's cold, and all the layers have come out. The cold just makes me miserable and grumpy, like a bear trying to hibernate, and I already miss the summer like crazy. The summer and Fowey. Of course there are high points of winter (grimaced as I typed that) - I mean sure, I love Christmas and when things are all magical and Christmassy, and I love Christmassy things, but it's the cold I hate. I miss wearing shorts and flipflops and tshirts. And suncream. I miss suncream. That's kind of weird I know.

But I suppose got to look positively at everything, and right now I'm beginning to look forward to Christmas. It's always a slightly stressful time, but ultimately enjoyable. Just a lot to do beforehand! Things have got kind of crazy recently, with lots of academic work to do, as well as other things. I've been busy working, writing, volunteering, and windsurfing among other things. Yes, still windsurfing even in this weather - I think the fact that I'm able to get out and do that (in my winter wetsuit, gloves and shoes) is helping me get through the horribleness of winter. It's nice having something outside to do regularly. I'm still swimming too, and that's helping to stop me be so miserable.

Otherwise, I've been busy writing, and trying to keep on top of several different projects. As I told you before, I haven't done NaNo this month (and it's felt very freeing. I haven't missed it at all. Not one minute. That's kind of telling I guess!), but I've been busy writing. I finished that draft I was half way through when NaNo started, and I've put it aside for now so I can come back to it with fresh eyes. It's a mess, but I think there's a story in there somewhere and I'm looking forward to editing it and teasing it out. Fingers crossed it will work, because it's a story that could be very important to me. Treading Water is still being edited, although it's taken a back seat. I'm hoping to start querying it sometime next year. I started something new too, because the story crept up on me and grabbed me, and made me want to start writing it, so I'm ten chapters into that and loving it. It's more NA I think than YA because the characters are older, but I'm just going with it and seeing where it takes me. For my course at the moment I've got to write a film treatment, so I'm also engrossed in that, trying to keep all the elements of the different stories separate - phew! Confusing at times. Luckily the stories are quite different enough. I'm also lucky enough to have been picked to be a MuggleNet Intern, writing news stories, so I've been busy with that too, and it's been tremendous fun. As I mentioned before, I've been taking part in PiBoIdMo too, so I've been scribbling down lots of ideas and it's been very productive, just for coming up with ideas. So that's me all caught up, sort of, for now!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends - I'm going to a Thanksgiving dinner tonight and I'm VERY excited about it! I was asked to make Cornbread for it, something I've never made or tasted before, so I hope I've made it right. Fingers crossed!

On Not Doing NaNoWriMo

Hey, so for the first time in eight years November isn't all about doing NaNo. And weirdly, it doesn't feel strange. All the talk about it on twitter and facebook is kinda strange, but I haven't felt any sort of twinge of regret at not doing it. I am so entrenched in other projects and with so much else on, I haven't even had a chance to think about it. September and October are normally full of it, but I haven't even visited the website. What is this? What has happened to me?

It's strange. Like a release from something I was obliged (?) to do before. But this year I'm doing it in my own way. I'm half way through one project, so I'm going to try and finish that, and then I might start something new. And this is better for me. I won't be racing to hit 50,000 words, but I will be writing. And this is the best way for me. There's all the excitement, the huge integrated network of people joining together just to WRITE (which is amazing. I love it). And I can still have the fun of that - I even did care packages with one of my good friends, because that's what we always do. So not much has changed. And it's a bit of a relief really. If there had been something I was itching to write and I had finished my current project, I might have gone for it, but no.

It's still weird though. It doesn't really feel like November yet. But at the same time, I don't feel like I'm missing out. Not yet anyway. I'm still writing anyway. And I've done this thing seven times! 

NaNo, I am so over you. (I'll be back next year probably).

Everyone who IS doing NaNo this year GOOD LUCK!