Writing, Life, and Questions

A couple of things, dear readers…

November has snuck up on me this year.  Normally, I’m doing NaNoWriMo at this point.  I haven’t missed one since college.  However, I don’t know that I’ll do NaNo this year.  I think taking my focus off of what I’m doing to write 50,000 words (which turns into whole other books I need to finish and edit) is really doing myself a disservice this year.  I don’t need another book in my head.  I need to finish the one that I’m editing now and get the darn thing sent off already.  If, instead of doing NaNo, I focus on editing (rewrites, the bane of my existence) I think I’ll remove some serious stress from my life.  While writing is release, rewrites are frustrating.  I’ve been stuck in the cycle of rewrites for too long on this book.  I need to get things set and done, move on to book two in the series (which is also written and awaiting rewrites) not to mention books three through seven of this series or the two other series and the children’s book I have partially written.  I will get there eventually.

As far as my life outside of being a writer is going, I think it’s good, if a bit crazy.  I’m teaching part time and making friends at work.  I’m beginning to hope that a certain person wants to be more than friends (and yes, the guy from a few months ago has fallen by the wayside).  I’m directing a show, working as an essay specialist, tutoring kids and adults, and working in the nursery at church.  Last week, I got pulled from nursery duty to chant for the archbishop of Tanzania about twenty minutes prior to me needing to go up and sing in Swahili because “We need an anchor voice and we don’t have one.  Please?!?!”  I said yes, because honestly, while the people who asked me are sweet and well-meaning people, they cannot sing.  I am glad that I didn’t know that we had a professional opera singer attending church that day though.  Strangely enough, foreign dignitaries make me nervous when I have no prep time and don’t know the language, but professional musicians make me more nervous.  She apparently asked around about me and was told “Oh, that’s Father’s oldest daughter.”  She said she was both surprised and happy to find that there was another singer in the parish.  I looked up at the choir, who I thought did a great job that day, and she smiled, said that they did beautifully but that it’s harder to be a soloist and complimented me on my voice.  It was nice.  I haven’t sung for a while, so I wasn’t up to snuff in my mind, but it was cool to get positive feedback from a professional and from various people at church who, apparently, forgot that I grew up chanting and singing.  So, life is busy, but I’m happy.

I thought that I would give something a try here and start asking you guys to respond to questions.  You know, see if we can get a dialogue going here on ToP.  So, for my first question:  What is your favourite book and why do you love it?