Have A Dickens of a Christmas

Every year on the first weekend of December the weather here gets bitter cold. Without fail at the same time each year Christmas festivity is brought forth it an event called Dickens. They have vendor’s, christmas carols, food, entertainment, and horse drawn wagon  rides. Nearly everyone is dressed up in costumes of the era. What most don’t see is all the work that goes into each part of these activities!

I visited once a few years back and saw the pretty landscape and decorations. Smelled the odors of the delicious food. Watched the breath roll out of the mouths of people as they talked. Listened to the lovely carols played on brass instruments or sung by carolers. It really is quite unique.

I never would have thought about the work put into each detail. That is until I became part of it. First my sister and I made costumes. I never thought we’d finish them! However we did and we wore them. I ran around for a couple days in my Dickens’ cloak trying to get used to the gigantic sleeves and the flying cape. It was terrific, I love it! My family thinks I’m crazy but that is okay. (I love to see their odd looks and, not well, hidden smiles!)

So Saturday rolled around. I pulled on my gloves, not able to decide between the green or the white. Then buttoned the four cool buttons on my thick green cloak. Tied the ridiculous wide-brimmed bonnet over my white knit hat and paused for a picture or two before heading out into the cold weather to attend the Dickens event.

I wasn’t attending Dickens just to view the festivities that were taking place, although that been great too. I was there to be a part of them. All week I enjoyed watching people’s faces change to amusement whenever I mentioned what we were going to be doing. We were the “pooper scoopers,” as my sister puts it. I like to saw we were walking behind the horses. Our friend brings her goats to Dickens with these packs on the side called… well, I can’t remember what they were called. Anyway they were looped onto this saddle that was clipped around the goat. In them we had plastic bags that were put horse manure in. Really it wasn’t a bad job. The goats, named Ditz and Fluffy Puff, were more messy than the horses. Most of the time we just walked around with the goats. You wouldn’t believe how many pictures were taken. Next time maybe I’ll try to count.  This time I was just busy keeping a smile on my face! The newspaper even talked to us. I really hadn’t thought much about being something in the event other than helping my friend. People are so funny! I can’t even begin to tell you of all the things we were asked. When it began to snow at noon, I became very grateful for my wide-brimmed bonnet. As the snow came down all I had to do was turn my head a little and the snow never got to my face. I admit though that even with all the fun we had I was plenty ready to come home! My nose, finger, and toes were so cold they started to feel warm. I knew that wasn’t a good sign.

When I got home the first thing I did was change out of my wet cloths and made a cup of hot chocolate. Then called Mom on the phone to let her know we were home safe and to watch the roads while she traveled.

The link below is to the Williamsport, PA. Sun Gazette Newspaper. The girl in the white bonnet is Rebecca, my sister. (I don’t know what newspaper got our names. Never thought to ask until afterward. So I Googled, “Dickens Wellsboro” and found this pic.)

CU.SunGazette.com | Purchase Prints, View Galleries, Upload Photos – Williamsport Sun-Gazette.

Wonderful!

So I couldn’t really think of a title for the post. That was the least of my worries. I have been having a great day. Not because I did anything really exciting, I didn’t really. It was because I got my schedule written and got somethings accomplished. So it didn’t all go according to plan. That would have been like an imaginary day anyway. I did get to write though. It felt so good! I got to sit down and read my Bible!

I also got the really terrific job of helping Mom clean my brother’s room. Okay so it wasn’t so great but we did find out where those terrible smells were coming from. We did get the empty Pringle’s cans in the garbage. We did find his nice dress pants, the ones he says he doesn’t have. It turned out amazing! I left Mom to finish the final touches while I helped with a math and english class. Brothers are wonderful! No, they really are! I don’t know what I’d do without mine… Let’s see no one to pick with, no one to get the flour off the top shelf, no one to argue over the front seat with, no one to… Life would be boring. yeah I’m nineteen and I argue over the front seat once in a while, usually just for the fun! Oh, the driver’s license book is written down as part of my schedule, but it is one of the things I missed so far today. Maybe I’ll read a little before bed?? (hint to self)

Guess I’ll just have to see what schedule day 2 holds! Diligent December is under way!

It Will Suffice

Here I am on the other side of November. The bad news is I did not make it to 50,000 words. The good news is, there is always next year. Actually I am very happy to have made it to 27,000,and some,words. It was over half way. I do plan to try, at a later date, to get the story up to at least 50,000. I need to set it aside for a time to think about other things. Maybe get back to my story I was working on. By that time I’ll come back to it with a new light.

I am working up a schedule with my mom so that our day doesn’t clash all the time. Maybe things will flow smoother and I can get more done. That is if I can follow the plan or is if the plan falls through?

No matter what, I am planning for a great December! Cookie baking, finishing up Christmas presents, attend Dickens, and (keep to my Diligent December plan which is) stick to a schedule!

If I Didn’t Know

If I didn’t already know I’d be amazed. I’m using spell check on ‘Reason For Revenge.’ Ha, I found that my spelling is greatly lacking! I already knew that, spelling has always been a struggle and I find that it still is. As long as there is spell check I’m great! It is a grueling task to go through my forty-one pages, though. I’m about ready to take spelling tests on myself! Most of the time it just proves to be a missed typed letter or a space in the wrong place but still …

So anyway, I find myself sitting at the computer fixing typos and spelling errors. I got the music on so that only I can hear it since most everyone is in bed. I’ve got to see what I can do about closing this wide gap between 25,000 and 50,000 before twelve tomorrow. So I’ll see you at the end!

Can you believe November is almost over?! AHHH… =)

Then there is hunting tomorrow too!

NaNo First Draft of ‘Reason For Revenge’

Hurray, I’m sooo excited! I finally finished my first draft for NaNoWriMo!

If it wasn’t one in the morning with nearly everyone in bed I’d run around the house, sing on the top of my lungs, dance with the dog, throw some snowballs, bake cookies, and then plunge back into the story to work the second draft. My word count is over 25,000! I’m hoping that I can go back through and fix some of the things I skipped over and bring my word count up before the bell tolls! That’d be great! I never really believed I’d make it this far! I hoped I would, I planned on it, but now that it is here I don’t believe it. I’m half afraid to go back over it! I might end up with a new twist and find myself on a whole new adventure.

I work at the antique shop most of the day tomorrow so I won’t even be able to peek at the story until after supper. Probably a good thing, it will give me a little time to think it all over. So good morning to everyone, I’m off to bed to catch some sleep before Mom comes and wakes me up!

‘Til My Arms Hurt

After I finished off the last of a book, read my bible, and helped Mom pull some stuff out of the junk room, I laid back down on my bed wondering what I should try to do today. There in the corner of my room a top my wardrobe sat my violin. I pulled it down and literally blew off the dust that had collected there. Amazingly it was still in tune. I began to play, scarring the cat down stairs! I did much better once  I started to play a song. Bob didn’t come back up and join me though but that was okay, he has no idea what good music is anyway! lol

After I began to play, I decided that I wasn’t going to quit until my arms started to burn or I was called away. Then I did a few excercises and turned back to my music. To be honest, I don’t really know a whole lot about reading music. Like most other things that I learn, I catch a little here and a little there, always with a lot of practice and hard work. So I played hymn after hymn. Some from sheet music, most by ear and memory. I had a blast! I started ‘The First Noel’ and pushed myself to the end as my arms began to burn.

I wasn’t ready to be done yet, so I started tutting on my recorder. Have you heard ‘Amazing Grace’ on a recorder? I love the sound of the recorder and the violin! With that thought, I like that sound of just about every instrument! After that I came downstairs and started on the piano. (I’m just starting the piano so I’m not very good at all.) Rebecca, my sister, has taught me how to play ‘The Drummer Boy.’ I have been playing it over and over trying to work out all the kinks.

Now I forced myself to sit down and get to writing. I’ve written a good sum so far today and rewarded myself with writing a blog post! Soooo… Here it is! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! I did, got beat at Risk (again) but, hay, it was fun!

To You All!

May you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

A New Twist

I didn’t think it was possible!

I am back to working on my novel again and it developed a new twist. At this stage of the game most people wouldn’t be developing my twists would they? If they were, wouldn’t they be going crazy? Well, that is if they weren’t really very far behind where they really should be!?

The truth is that I amazed myself to find that the novel developed a new twist that I am only beginning to unravel. I think I got answers, I think pieces are starting to click back together, but I’m not sure. I’m not sure about anything with this novel. Every time I think I see a shore I find out that it is a mirage. So I am still swimming in the waves riding through an adventure!

Along for the adventure is Pendragon, whom I have been reading. I’ll tell you what I like the most about the books. They are hard to put down, adventure packed, and down to earth. There are parts of the writing that I am not partial too that I think makes it a lesser quality book. I’m not sure what to compare the books too. They definitely aren’t a Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and type book. It is more like a Dr. Who-spy-stop-the-bad-guy kind of thing. Cool and enjoyable by all means. The thing that struck me the most is how well the writer brought the writing down to a fourteen year olds level. He didn’t really compromise on the variety of words either.

It is great! So again, I am reading and learning, Praise the Lord!

Watching

When they say that people are watching you, they mean it, so you better believe it! I can say so ’cause I am probably one of them!

Owl and Sparrow suggested I watch people to help me build my characters character. I had the opportunity to do just that today! We went down toward Williamsport to do a visit-Gram-and-shopping-date-combo. You know every time I walked into a store I had every intention of watching people. It was so confusing that I can hardly believe that I used to live there. They changed Wal-Mart so it is hardly recognizable inside or out! Traffic was crazy and I was glad that I am not driving yet!

Anyway, even though my mind didn’t focus on the one thing that I wanted it to, I did end up with a very good experience. I was at a (shall we say) uppity dented can store. I found some nice deals on chocolate! Which I have decided to find a creative way to bake with…  At any rate it was Friday night and there was only one cash register open. Once I was in line I noticed that the clerk was a young man. Second, I noticed his smile and happy continence. Third, I noticed that he was new to the job. Fourth, I noticed that he spoke fine except when it came to prices. He seemed to repeat a price twice every time he said one. To be honest the only person I had ever heard stutter was my brother when he was learning to use sentences. So that was what caught my attention!

When I am getting checked out, the clerk always seems to ask, “How I am today?” My answer is always, “Good, how are you?” I can’t seem to stop myself. It just comes without me thinking about it, a habit I have formed. Usually they give an automatic response that reminds me somehow of a computer, “Good!” After the transaction is done and I am handed my change, I always find myself saying, “Thanks, have a good day!” If I get a response it is, “You too,” I either smile or say, “Thank you!”

Without fail that was just how the encounter proceeded. Normal, ordinary, but this time I shall remember it. Why? I’m not really sure. Maybe because he was nice and had a great smile or maybe because I just found out that I formed a habit without thinking about it. Perhaps it is because today I have found myself people watching without realizing it. Then again, maybe it had to do with that curious look he had that seemed to say, “Your different but why and how?”

I get that a lot because of my dress and head covering.  I just keep smiling because I am thinking, “Who are you and what is your story?” =)

P.S. Everyone has a story of their life. I am always curious about what they are when I see people. I think that there are a lot of life stories that are never written down, and should be, if only someone would capture them on paper! Anyway, there are lots of people in the world, if I can just single out a few at a time… I’ll probably end up with another story idea! lol

Conversation

I remember during last years writing class, and in reading Gail Carson Levine’s writing book, that there was one thing that stuck with me. It was that conversation was needed to make a story interesting. Seeing it work in the writing process opened my eyes in a way that I will never see reading or writing in the same light again. All for the better! Right now as I write my NaNo novel I find that conversation is essential but dead boring. I think I know why but it will take some time to correct. All the characters seem to be the same. None of them have a speech mannerism or anything that sets them apart from others.

It is like having the same character take several different forms. There is no distinction between any of them. I can see the distinctions forming but as of now there is little of it written into the story, or should I say showing in the story. That which is written in, is often told wather then seen. So I find an engaging plot plodding along with dead boring characters and their dead boring conversation.

I am plodding along with it dragging this story out just about as long as I can bear to write it. Once the first draft is written I am not sure when I will pick it up again. I feel as though I am living with this story. It hides in my closet, under my bed, in the shower, all over my desk. Every where I go it comes with me. I can feel it working and gathering getting ready for our evening session of typing. It is like nothing I have felt before in my writing. It is like writing something that should already have been written. Yes, when I am writing I often carry the story and characters around with me, it is almost impossible not to. However this time it is different, it is like they are invading.

When it comes time to tell their tale, I do not yet feel like I know or understand them. I have developed this story from old ideas as I have done many times before. This time it is different, the story comes fast. So many things are happening and developing. A whole new plot has erupted from my first scribbled pages of beginnings. It is almost like telling something that has already happened but so long ago that I am forgetting the details and perhaps some of the order. I’m not sure how to make my readers understand my characters! I know that time will bring this to rights. As for now I will try to sum up my boring conversations, work my plot to an end, and set this all aside for a rainy (or snowy) day. On the day I come back to it, perhaps I will see exactly what it is that I should include.

In conclusion, I feel that this November will not have been spent in a vain attempt. I have learned much from this challenge. I don’t think that I will arrive at my 50,000 words but I’ll be a little better prepared for the endeavor next year! Oh, and I think I know just the project I will work on…