It's Over. Whew!

I did it! I can't believe it! 

Here's a reminder for myself and a tip for next year's NaNoWriMo participants: If you use OpenOffice to write your manuscript, your word count will not match the validation word count. My word count had a difference of almost 4,000 words!

So what did I win?

1. An AWESOME sense of accomplishment. 2013 was far from productive in the writing sense. I wrote more words in November than I had in the whole year. By finishing NaNoWriMo, I proved to myself that writing 2,000, or even 5,000, words in one night is possible when you enjoy your story.

2. An AWESOME 'Winner' t-shirt. Well, okay, I didn't actually win the shirt, but it only cost me $16.67 (hehe--get it? That's the number of words per day needed to win NaNoWriMo.) I will wear it proudly.

3. An AWESOME first draft to work with after New Year's Eve. I'm actually looking forward to the editing process on this novel. I may change my views on that after the third round of revisions, but for now, I'm excited.

and last but not least...

4. An AWESOME certificate. I wonder if the certificate will help when I start looking for an agent. Probably not, but it's okay--I love it!

Right now you're thinking: That's a whole lot of AWESOME for one little blog post. Yes. Yes, it is.

Thank you to all of you for your support and encouragement. 

What I've Learned From Fasting...

The last time I posted, I told you all about my cleansing agenda. Thanks to everyone for your encouragement! It wasn't as rough as I thought it would be, and now that I've done it once, I'll definitely try it again. 

(I started out with 10 lemons for four days. It wasn't enough. Although the diet says NOT to use bottled lemon juice, I only used it the last day.)

The Master Cleanse was the scariest, but it was easy. Although I felt a little weak, I also felt fantastic. 

I did the Master Cleanse for three days. The night before I began the cleanse, I smoked my last cigarette. 

Here is what I learned from four days on The Master Cleanse:

• It IS possible to quit smoking and diet at the same time.
• Green tea lessens the headaches associated with withdrawals.
• Pure maple syrup is expensive.
• Even with microwaving, rolling on the counter, and squeezing like a madwoman, a lemon will only yield about 1/3 cup of juice.
• It gets easier with each day.
• Cayenne pepper is tasty and boosts metabolism. I sprinkle it on almost everything.
• 2 tablespoons of salt dissolved in 2 cups of hot water tastes like broth, but you need to stay close to a bathroom.

On the fourth day, I added orange juice. I've never tasted anything so delicious in my life!
On the fifth day, I ate raw fruits and vegetables.

On the sixth day, I received my shipment of juices from Pressed Juicery.

Unfortunately, I had to have them shipped to my office. I couldn't lay around at home during my juice fast.

The juices were pressed in the morning, and then shipped via FEDEX overnight. Pressed Juicery uses an insulated bag that also contained ice packs.

I received 6 juices per day for 3 days. They're even numbered so I didn't have to think! Aren't the colors pretty? 

I also ordered the optional chlorophyl water and the aloe vera water.

The juice cleanse was expensive ($220.00 for a three-day cleanse), but for me it was well worth it. I didn't have to purchase the fruits and vegetables, I didn't have to chop, measure, and prepare, and I didn't have to clean a juicer. All I did was pop open the top and drink. It was a decadent purchase, but I'm worth it.

Here is what I learned after my Three-Day Pressed Juicery Cleanse:

• Drinking 16 oz of juice every 2 hours is very filling
• Cucumbers are overpowering when used in a juice.
• Chlorophyll water tastes like cactus.
• Five pounds of produce is used to make 16 oz of pressed juice!
• I'm not a big fan of ginger.
• My tongue turned so clean and a pretty shade of pink, I couldn't stop showing everyone.
• My FedEx delivery guy thinks I'm nuts.

After all was said and done, I lost 7-1/2 pounds (just in time for a wedding!) 

(Me and Hubby)

my hot flashes have diminished, and have been smoke-free for 19 days. I felt alive and energetic, and even though I couldn't do anything too strenuous, my mind felt clear. I even went on a 2 mile walk--TWICE! And didn't feel like I was going to have a heart attack. 

Fasting helped rid my body of toxins and negative addictions, and helped start me off on a new lifestyle of eating fresh, healthy meals. 

So, what does this have to do with writing? Everything! Not only was the cleanse a major life event for me, )|(and all writers know that major life events are fodder for writing) but I also reassured myself that even at this stage of my life I am capable of accomplishing difficult tasks. 

I think I'll go back to writing that novel now...

Self-Sabotage?

Some of you are aware my home is in the midst of repairs. After a series of unfortunate delays, the contractors began two weeks ago. While at work on Friday, I thought the contractors would surely be done (or close enough) for me to begin the painting, cleaning, and order-restoring process.

I walked into the house, after work, and was excited to see the backsplash freshly grouted. Yay! It looks gorgeous! (Photos to come)...Except for the broken tile, the missing tile, and the unfinished edge by the refrigerator. :( My cabinets and countertops are installed but the roll-out trays in the cabinets are still not done. The 1970's spindles in the wall opening between the dining room and kitchen,I requested to be removed,were still intact.

Needless to say, since there will be more spackle involved, there was no sense starting the cleaning and/or painting process. Hubby, John, did take matters into his own hands by removing the spindles, and I was able to spackle the holes but aside from those small tasks, nothing else got done in my house. Our living room couch and tables are surrounded by the microwave cart and small appliances. I spent the weekend watching Nip/Tuck Season 6 on my computer, frowning at the upheaval in my home.

This morning, I woke up from my Julian McMahon-induced haze and shamefully realized that while I had valid enough reasons for not getting my home back in order, I had absolutely no excuses for not completing assignment 4 of my ICL course. Nor, do I have an excuse for not writing or submitting any short stories. Heck, I didn't even read my e-mails this weekend!

So after getting my morning work done, I Googled, "Self-Sabotage" and found this website:

Top 7 Self-Sabotaging Behaviors

1. Do you find yourself always thinking and speaking about the things that aren't working?
2. Do you worry about the future and what might happen?
3. Do you forget about all your accomplishments?
4. Do you feel badly when comparing yourself to others?
5. Do you believe you aren't entitled to what you want?
6. Do you feel something is missing in your relationships or find fault with other people?
7. Do you feel you have no purpose?

Then, you may be sabotaging yourself! While not all of these behaviors pertain to myself, a good many of them are present and in varying degrees. So, what am I going to do?

1. Instead of dwelling on the things that aren't going right with my YA novel, I need to change my way of thinking and start asking myself, "What IS working?"

2. Instead of worrying about what I will do if I complete the novel and can't find an agent or publisher, I need to focus on the present. I can't control or predict the future. I need to let go and trust that the Universe will take care of it.

3. Instead of dwelling on my rejections and badly written pieces sitting in my drawer, I need to be proud of who I am and what I've done. Obsessing about the lack of accomplishments is preventing my future success. I need to notice my small successes and compliment myself more.

4. Instead of comparing myself to others I need to find the qualities I like best about myself and realize I AM good enough.

5. Instead of feeling I'm not worthy of accomplishing goals, I need to create stepping stones, shifting my limiting beliefs, to make my way over the bridge to goal-accomplishment.

6. Instead of staying in my bubble, I need to cultivate connections and interact more with other writers.

7. Instead of feeling as if I'll never achieve my writing goals, I need to clarify what is important and what I want to contribute to the world.

Admitting there's a problem is the first step toward a solution. After reading about these behaviors, I think I'm more aware of what's going on in my head, causing my failure to complete the novel. I hope this new awareness will help end my procrastination and bring me closer to my goal of completing the first draft.

So, tonight after dinner, I'll put that coat of primer on the walls and while it's drying, I think I'll lay down the foundation of the bridge to accomplishment and clear my living room table so I can work on my assignment. It's a small stepping stone, but it's a good one.