Whew – November 1st is here, meaning the FIRST day of National Writing Month, the first day and have I thought of a start?  Not one moment – and what a moment to jump right in – perfect! These younger students are raring to go today!

Here is a good blog pertaining to Nano and the first day too!

http://pbackwriter.blogspot.mx

Without a clear path or thought – I think it is the PERFECT setting for starting a novel!  Here I go – in 30 minutes – I will be typing for 10, then jumping into the shower (maybe) check this water schedule out due to the holiday:

• Thursday (beginning at 00:00 hours), NO WATER at all during the whole day
• Friday and Saturday: service will be working at 40% (so, we will have some water but little pressure)
• Sunday: service will be restored at 100%

I knew there was a reason I went camping last year without a shower for a week, it makes it so easy from there out!

Today we are preparing a breakfast for the participants of NANO, as well as continuing to finish TODAY, the remaining lingering assignments needed for the Mansfield Program due, and then Friday!   No School and a day open for…..(LOTS OF POSSIBILITIES!)  I have a few in mind..update restaurant on here from a cafe in Mexico, NANO, begin to see some museums, eat well, organize my apartment with the random papers, NANO,   wash the truck, NANO, 🙂

One thing I neglected to add to this blog, was the last two appearances I made at the football games, yes I admit, as the bear.  The ASF bear does dance, does yell, does shake his tail, and does run around like a nut with the suit on but once taken off, wow – normalcy (as normal as I can get I suppose).  I loved Stephanie Vondell being the bear for last week’s pep rally, and then people seeing me and asking, “What the heck?!” – she was great too!  Something about being a mascot in a suit, that is, well, you can have a good day, a bad day, any day and yet the bear lives for the crowd.  

HOT – did I mention how incredibly hot the suit was/is?  Yet, the workout I receive is more than 3 alternate days of running in 80 degree heat routines, lol.  It’s a win/win.  The little kids, the big kids, slapping high fives, jumping, yelling, following the game, being crazy being funny, dancing to the music chosen by the football staff, it’s all good and relative, and honestly, hysterically FUN.  🙂  Hmmmm, Nano about a mascot who goes on to change the world?  Could be….:)   

Sigh, time to go back into the world, but you have seen a glimpse of just one crazy activity that has consumed me lately, so hang on for the next few revelations of the funny, absurd, and   wildly time-consuming for your enjoyment – 🙂   Life is good, this is true, but it all depends on the person behind the view.  🙂   

 

Followup to the first day of Nano!  

Dear Writer,

When I was 30 years old, I moved to Minneapolis and got a job in a book warehouse. My official job title was “Picker.” This meant that I went around the third floor of the warehouse holding a computerized print order in one hand and pulling books off the shelf with the other hand. I put all the books into a grocery cart and I took the grocery cart and wheeled it into an ancient, crabby freight elevator and went downstairs to deliver the order to the shipping department. Then I took the stairs back up to the third floor and started over again.

It wasn’t a challenging job. It didn’t pay much. I was on my feet all day long. My back hurt. My hands hurt. But I was happy. I was surrounded by books and by people who loved to read them. Also, for the first time in my life, I was writing.

I got up every morning before work (the alarm was set for 4:30) and wrote two pages before I went into the warehouse. And then, when I arrived at work at 7:00 to punch the time clock, I received my daily so-you-want-to-be-a-writer pep talk from a coworker.

Let’s call him Bob. (Even though his real name is Gary).

Bob wanted to be a writer, too. But he wasn’t writing. Every morning we had the same exchange.

Bob: “How did the writing go?”

Me: “Fine.”

Bob: “How many pages did you write?”

Me: “Two.”

Bob: “Do you think Dickens wrote two pages a day?”

Me: “I don’t know how many pages Dickens wrote a day.”

Bob: “Yeah, well let me tell you something, you’re no Dickens. So what’s Plan B, babe? What’s Plan B for when the writing doesn’t work out?”

For this question, I had no answer.

I turned my back on Bob, pulse pounding, fists clenched, and climbed the stairs to the third floor and started picking books.

When the alarm went off at 4:30 the next morning, I thought about Bob and that is part of the reason I got out of bed.

It is a truly excellent to have someone to believe in you and your ability to write.

But I think it is just as helpful to have people who don’t believe in you, people who mock you, people who doubt you, people who enrage you. Fortunately, there is never a shortage of this type of person in the world.

So as you enter this month of writing, write for yourself. Write for the story. And write, also, for all of the people who doubt you. Write for all of those people who are not brave enough to try to do this grand and wondrous thing themselves. Let them motivate you.

In other words, do it for Bob!

Your friend in writing,

Kate DiCamillo

 

Kate DiCamillo is the author of The Tale of Despereaux (Newbery Medal), Because of Winn-Dixie(Newbery Honor), and a The Tiger Rising (National Book Award finalist). She lives in Minneapolis, MN with her dog Henry.