Happy Halloween!

Or, as I like to think of it (since we never get trick-or-treaters), “Day before NaNo!”

As I’ve mentioned previously, I’ll be doing NaNo but the blog will still be updated a minimum of once per week. You can look forward to some nifty guest posts and some updates about how NaNo is going.

Also, dog photos. One or two of those.

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What Does NaNo Mean for MetaCookbook?

As I mentioned in the previous post, I plan to tackle NaNoWriMo (NaNo) again this year. So, what does that mean for blogging?

It’s pretty simple. Like last year, I’ve solicited several guest posts. Unlike last year, I also have three posts scheduled already that are the longer answers from my questions about Beer Bloggers’ Conference 2014. While those are not precisely guest posts, they are interesting writing from other folks. With some luck and some prodding and some nagging (and maybe some writing!), I plan to get you guys a total of six posts that aren’t update posts; those three in the queue certainly help.

There will also be update posts, expect a minimum of two of those. Probably not more than once a week, though.… Continue reading →

What Composes Autumn

The Northern Hemisphere is almost halfway through autumn, but it only starts feeling like autumn to me sometime in October. And then, being as I live in Chicago, it feels as if winter is mere moments away.

This autumn, in particular, has been interesting. The feel to it is very much as though it is nearly gone, but I am present for so many individual moments. It’s surreal to feel massive pressure about the changing of the season, while also so slowed down.

I think this is happening because of the things that make “autumn” a thing for me (in a way that spring, summer, and winter simply are not). And, this year, those things taken together are giving me an awareness of autumn, my favorite season, like I haven’t had in a decade or so.… Continue reading →

Updates!

So, here it is the middle of December and I didn’t even tell you all what happened in November. My apologies. Basically, after going so freaking hard in November I crashed, hard, in December.

I’m only just resurfacing, frankly. The shortened days always do a number on me, and it’s been a bit of an odd year overall. But I’m starting to come back up and I realized I should give you all the updates I can think of.

First, I did complete/”win” NaNoWriMo. The goal being 50,000 words in 30 days and I got a bit over 53,000 words. Unfortunately or fortunately, I’m not sure which, this wasn’t in any way the end of the story. So, I kept writing into December a few days, until the aforementioned crash.… Continue reading →

Holy Cow. I’m Ahead.

Yesterday, I said I didn’t expect to write today. And I surprised myself. I wrote.

Not only did I write, I wrote over 3,000 words today. Just a few over, but still. That’s a lot of words.

Most of them will likely be cut whenever I get to editing this bear. But, hey, that’s fine. Until I wrote them, I had nothing to edit. So, overall, I’m doing better than expected. By a great deal.

I also said this is more than a 50k word story. It really is. I’m over halfway to that goal and just reaching the first major turning point in my plot. The only turning point I’ve planned. From here, I have to follow where my characters lead me. I suspect it’s going to be both fun and miserable, in turns.… Continue reading →