(31) Days of Summer

"It is my pleasure to inform you that you have officially kicked ass this month. No matter how many words you have written, you have done an amazing thing. Through distractions and demands and family obligations, you forged ahead. Your willingness to go out on a creative limb, to stand up and reach for an impossible goal, is an inspiring example to all of us ... Most of you - like me - probably do not write fiction. Fiction is something other people write. But this month, you dared to say, "Screw that. It's my turn." You stepped up to the plate. And there is nothing more admirable in this whole damn world than someone willing to set for themselves the fearsome task of trying something big."  - Chris Baty   I did it! This year's NaNoWriMo has been delightful. Unconstrained by the usual word count, I wrote when I wanted, what I wanted and as much or little as I wanted. I had so much fun doing it. I now move from fellow writer to cheerleader.  I hope you enjoy ...

I took yesterday off since I was exhausted and sore from my real life hill repeats run in the awful heat and humidity. Sadly, Jake Kneiss did not show up. Back at writing today. Can't share anything that I wrote, since I'm in the final phase and it's all spoilers, so I'm sharing a gem from much earlier. It is the from the first Mandatory Lunch run - and they are discussing prizes for the Return to Office 5km 'Marathon'. Enjoy! Blessedly interrupting my humiliation, Chuck starts yelling again into the megaphone. Clearly, he has forgotten that the entire purpose of the megaphone is to raise the volume of your voice for you such that you do not have to yell. “I’m delighted to announce the prize pack for the winner of the Inaugural Bank of Nova Scotia Return to Office 5 km ‘Marathon’!” Chuck shouts. “Huddle around everyone. The prize pack includes: a burned CD labelled ‘Summer Jams 2002’, an unopened and unexpired pack of Gushers, a partially empty Lisa Frank sticke...

I am in the very final stages of my novel. Only 4,400 or so words before my word count goal, and I think I'll be done in the next few days. I have the rest of the plot mapped out, and I'm going to try not to give too much away in the next few excerpts. It has been fun writing this year, with lower word count requirements, I'm finding more joy in writing and am less tired/burned out. I'm finding it hilarious how many parallels between our novels and our real lives are manifesting. We are in the liminal phase of Week 3 of EsNoWriMo. The 'betwixt and between' reality and imagination. Our communitas is strong. It would be nice if I could manifest Jake Kneiss joining me on my Hill Repeat run tomorrow. That would be much more pleasant than what has been "manifested" from my novel so far: an embarrassing gaff requiring an eyewash station, a flock of geese making me wish I had a sweat-wicking running cape, an actual dissertation about 'becoming marathon...

Hello fellow writers! I'm going to try to wrap up my novel by Saturday. I am still having fun with it, but I'm starting to get tired. It's a lot trying to work, so I'll try to finish while I still feel good. I had a really hard/fast run today, and then very shortly after sat down for my writing session. Unsurprisingly, I went on to write an excerpt that is mostly a description of how bad running feels. I've shared only the funny parts of my writing session. No one needs to read about how bad running feels. We don't need to be reminded.  To: lenamatthews@bankofnovascotia.org CC: Ad Hoc Wifi Contemplation and Coordination Committee Members From: addisonbarger@bankofnovascotia.org Date: July 15, 2025 Time: 011:33:28 Re: Doodle Poll for Follow-Up Meeting for Ad Hoc Wifi Contemplation and Coordination Committee Good morning! Looking forward to seeing you all at our lunch run today. I’m told by Chuck that it’s going to be a real corker. (Don’t tell Jackie I said ‘real...

I had about 25min during my lunch break to write today, and it was bonkers. Clacked out 1200 words without spell checking and moved on with my day. Thank goodness for Cosmo providing some awesome flirting ideas to help me move the romance part of my plot along. Here is an excerpt outlining part of the Ad Hoc Committee for Contemplation and Coordination of Wifi. “We need to figure out a way to re-package the status quo so that it appears there has been a change, but no change has actually happened. In short, we need to find a way to appease the huddled masses without doing anything at all to change the Wifi situation,” Bam Bam says. “Let’s all take a few moments of quiet contemplation.” As we sit ostensibly ‘contemplating’ the wifi, I am actually contemplating how to execute the awesome flirting technique I read about in that old Cosmo last night. It was a rather complex maneuver involving an accidental ‘fall’ into my crush’s chest and saying ‘Damn, your pecs are so hard, I felt like I ...

I had another fun day of writing today. Sharing a few excerpts because I couldn't pick just one, and didn't want to share all 2000 words I wrote today. I have less than 10,000 words to go for my planned word count, and I have a rough outline of at least how the plot points can come together to wrap this novella up. I am really enjoying much writing a much shorter novel this year. And the addition of AI generated images, including the one below of Aki Berg. And the pylon he should have been replaced by. I see Jake at a table and sidle up to him. I see that he is taking heaping spoonfuls from the bowel labeled ‘classic jello salad’ and putting them on his plate. It looks, and smells, like vomit. “Hey, Jake,” I say cheerfully, trying not to let disgust creep into my voice. “Oh, hey…” he says, looking perplexed. “It’s Lena,” I tell him. “We ran together the other day?” “Right. Of course. Lena. I can’t believe how much of this jello salad is left. Score! I made it myself. It’s my fa...

Enjoy. As I finish putting the final touches on my updated Curriculum Vitae before leaving for work for the day, I am reminded that everyone is expected to bring something to a potluck. I can’t just show up empty handed like an asshole and eat everyone else’s offerings. That would be truly offside. I head to my pantry to scavenge for something, anything, that could pass as ‘food’ at the potluck. Unfortunately, my pantry is bare. All that I can find is a half-eaten and expired bag of Craisins. It’ll have to do. Maybe I can serve it in a fancy bowl to distract from it’s inadequacy? Yeah. That’ll work. After a morning at work battling the incredibly slow Wifi and wishing there really was a VIP Wifi, it’s time for the potluck. I head to the conference room, joining the streams of bleary eyed and hungry looking hoards exiting their offices and cubicles all walking slowly in the same direction. I’m embarrassed to see the effort that others have put into the dishes they are carrying. But als...