Still Writing

I started with the best of intentions. Really. My goal was 30K and I knew I could do it. Then, the RA decided to kick my ... I went into a flare. Actually, I've been in a flare for nearly two years with a brief break last summer. At the moment, things are calming down a bit but I fear it is too little too late. 

I'm not going into all the deadly depressing, boring detail here. If you interested in suffering with me, dash over to Life on the Ledge. It is aptly named. Let me say that I am behind for a reason and move on.

Once I knew I would not make the 30K without a miracle, I reduced it to 25K. My hands were swollen and the joints hurt but I kept plugging away. I couldn't bend my fingers easily and the began having cramps in both hands the beginning of the second week, something I've never had before. I had to send a message to the doctor and keep going.

Finally, after hasty emails, we decided on a plan. My plan was to stop using the computer as much as possible. Work has forced me to do 7 hours a day in data entry for three weeks now and then with Camp that increased to nearly 10 hours typing. Her plan was to increase certain meds. I cut back as much as I could at home and work. And again reduce my word count, this time to 20K. 

I missed a day of work last week and again yesterday. But I had a four day weekend as a result. After four days of no computer work and limited writing, my hands have calmed down. The cramps have stopped. Most of the joints in my hand are now calmer, with the exception of one very painful finger, which is one that gets a lot of action on the keyboard.

At this point, I still want to work on the story and try and finish but I'm not liking the odds and I don't like feeling forced to reduce the word count. I had to do that last year and I hated it. 

The only good news is I'm still writing... but not as much as I'd like. So, I'm down but not out.

Camp NaNoWriMo 2014 - Day 2

Yesterday Camp NaNo started off with a fairly good bang. I hosted an online write-in on Mibbit and had a few of my local WriMos in attendance. I racked up just over 1400 words for the first night. Since my goal is only 25K, that is about two nights of writing. I'll do some more in a bit. I've spent the early part of the evening trying to decided whether I really wanted to go walk. I suppose I decided not to since it is now almost 8:30 and I'm still here.

The story I'm working on is one from my 2013 NaNo. I think I've already blogged this...somewhere... Anyway, The Long Summer Run is the title and I've got it posted around here somewhere.... {sigh} I have to clean the place up! Oh, well.

This story is about Marley Crawford and the events that transpired over the course of a summer in Riker's Mill. Marley is just 17 and is at the crossroads of life when one is neither a child anymore nor an adult and she gets no respect in either. So, what is her summer like?

Here's an exerpt from The Long Summer Run:

Since May life had been filled with a certain flavor, a bit like hot sauce laced with vinegar. The variety of events boggled even my mind. My brother was shot in the butt. My big sister had left home without a word. I'd gone skinny dipping with Taylor. The barn had burned to the ground. A body was found in the ashes. My brother had gone on the lam and was hiding out somewhere. I'd visited a bar to ask questions that went nowhere and was questioned by the police and nearly landed me in jail. I hid things from my family that probably should be told. I'd snooped around and irritated someone enough to make them run over me. Suffered a broken arm and severe concussion. Now, I was concealing the fact that Jim was somewhere nearby.

What a summer. It was surely better than some of those movies that came to town and ran for the whole summer.Whatever the movie happened to be, the locals always called it the Long Summer Run. This summer my life was the feature presentation in town.