I didn’t have time to finish the final chapter tonight because I was getting ready for a little trip I’m taking in a few weeks. I should let you know about it soon.

I had to listen to some powerful music to get me through this second to last chapter though.

It needs a bucket load of editing for it to be good, but I think the heart of it is there and that’s all I needed.

One more chapter and I’m done.

Day 1/8-

(approx.) 1,456 Words

Total Words: 76,681

Finally wrote most of my battle scene tonight.

I feel like I could go out and win a war or something right now

Unfortunately, I told someone I’d be going to bed early tonight and I’m a little late on that, but my bed time will be a lot sooner than normal. Yay!

(I am beginning to look like some of the scarier characters in my story, which is why I need to hit the hay.)

Day 1/4-

(approx.) 2,051 Words

Total Words: 75,241

I literally have one and a half chapters left to write.

I wanted to finish writing the second to last chapter so bad tonight, but my brain shorted out on me. There’s always that point where it says, “Sorry Charlie, you’re going to bed whether you like it or not.”

It’s a good thing I’ll be done soon too because my body has been complaining from all the writing. Every now and again, my right forearm gets these weird pangs in it, and the annoying pain from sitting too long likes to shoot up my back and hook me over the shoulder. That hasn’t been particularly pleasant either.

Ay me, the wounds of the writer.

Seriously going to take a vacation after this.

Day 1/2-

(approx.) 1,226 Words

Total Words: 73,356

P.S. If you’ve never heard any of the gentle and moving works of Ludovico Einaudi, you should check them out on Grooveshark. Gorgeous and very relaxing.

The nice thing about being the author is, the worst possible thing can happen in your story and you can still make everything okay in the end.

Yeah, there might be a controlling overlord complex in there somewhere, but isn’t that why we read fiction in the first place? Sometimes life doesn’t turn out so well, so in your own world, with your own rules, you can make it turn out exactly the way you’d want it to.

Day 2/3-

(approx.) 1,447 Words

Total Words: 72,141

Um…this monkey has nothing to do with this post. I just thought you guys needed a fun moustached monkey photo.

Once he drew

With one long kiss my whole soul thro’

My lips, as sunlight drinketh dew.

~Alfred Lord Tennyson

I was dreading finishing this one particular chapter tonight, because I really wasn’t sure what was supposed to happen. But it had a beautiful ending and made me fall in love with my characters a little bit more.

Day 3/4-

(approx.) 1,446

Total Words: 70,675

Yep, we’ve hit the bottom and we’re taking on water folks.

Curse this rocky coast! Stupid, unforgiving beds of coral in the shape of disappointment, fear, un-inspiration, and the distractions of life.

I have to tell you, I was so sure I could get two chapters done yesterday and two done today to finish my novel. Um…yeah, that didn’t happen.

Yesterday, a gale blew up, and I could barely see the shoreline anymore.

Satan did every tiny thing in his power to botch me up over the weekend. It wasn’t even big things that kept me from writing my four chapters.

Big things would have been a nuclear war, grasshoppers taking over the earth or my hands literally falling off to lie on top of my keyboard. (Just so you know, I still would have continued writing through these circumstances.)

It was little things that piled up and hit me when I was tired and frustrated and stressed.

You know what though, this might be the best thing that could have happened. Because the Lord knows I struggle with wanting to be perfect. It kills me when I’m not. And now the boat that was only meant to hold me for 50 days is sinking beneath the waves.

Yes, I could get mad at myself for not meeting my exact novel-in-50-day-goal, (which I did yesterday) but today I’ve accepted my fate, and I’ve saved one of my floating boat seats to help me the rest of the way. The seat is called determination.

Tomorrow will not be Day 0. Tomorrow will be Day 3/4 because guess what, I’m swimming. No storm of disappointment will stop me now. That’s what you do when the shoddy boat sinks. When the going gets tough, you don’t wallow in the ocean of your tears, you GET TO SHORE.

Here I go.

Day 1

(approx.) 710 Words

Total Words: 69,260

Must sleep now.

I’ll write in my dreams.

Promise.

Day 2

(approx.) 1,505 Words

Total Words: 68,559

Three more days.

A lot can happen in three days.

It’s hard for me to believe I picked the right number of days to complete this project without (mostly) stressing myself out.

Four chapters may sound like a lot, but they are short and the ball is rolling. I have the final parts all planned out, so I’m hoping for an easy sail into the harbor.

To be clear, I am very glad I have a free weekend to finish the rest though. That’s a blessing from the Lord right there.

Day 3-

(approx.) 1,278 Words

Total Words: 67,057

Yes, I am attempting to stave off the panic with the knowledge that I only have four days left to complete my novel, in posting about my awesome new octopus earrings.

They are a little hard to tell what they are from far away, but they are super cute close up.

The octopus is actually very intelligent. They are very good escape artists, and their skin color changes with their mood. They are very cool animals. I wish I could have one for a pet, but they probably aren’t as cuddly as they look.

I bought these earrings off Etsy, from the store AgHalo. (Etsy will rock your socks off!)

Okay, I know you want them. Here they come. Novel stats.

Day 4-

(approx.) 1,370 Words

Total Words: 64,501

I could count on one hand now how many days I have left to finish this novel.

I think I can average about a chapter a day, and that might actually get me through to the end.

I’m really looking forward to telling you all about the story. I think the premise is pretty interesting, but that was the easy part. As you know, the trick is in the execution.

Day 5-

(approx.) 1,785 Words

Total Words: 64,499

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Easy, Delicious Beef and Onions Dinner

Also here is a totally random addition to this post. I made a great, easy dinner last night and wanted to share.

I am sure there is a recipe like this somewhere on the interwebz, but I created this particular entree on a wing and a prayer and it worked!

-Half a small, white onion, chopped/sliced
-Two chopped green onions
-Four or five cloves of garlic, sliced
-Can of Del Monte Tomatoes Diced with Zesty Mild Green Chilies
-A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
-1 pound of lean ground beef

-White rice (however much you want to go with it)

First, start cooking the rice, like regular, in a pot. (If you do this first, it will be done cooking by the time you’re finished with the other part.)

Then take a skillet, turn your burner on to medium-high heat, and begin browning the meat.

As you brown the meat, half-way through, throw the garlic in. A few minutes later add the green onions. A minute later add the white onions.

When the meat is finished browning, drain most of the grease (you shouldn’t have a lot if you use lean beef).

Then add the can of tomatoes and the dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.

Last, to let all the flavors come together in a heavenly meadly, cover the skillet and let it simmer over a lower heat for a few minutes. The simmering probably doesn’t need to go on too long. 3-7+ minutes should do it.

By this time your rice should be finished cooking. You can turn off the stove, spoon the beef and onions over a bowl of rice, add a dash of pepper, and viola! (almost) instant dinner joy.*

*(Probably not a good first-date-meal, because of all the strong luscious flavorings. Just sayin’.)