Fun Facts about Make Your Own Head Day

This year, Thanksgiving falls on November 28th. Everyone else's blog is talking about turkeys, pumpkin pie, pilgrims and tryptophan-induced naps. 

That's all fine and good, but another holiday falls on the same day. Have you ever heard of Make Your Own Head Day? Neither had I, but you, my dear friends, will be glad I've done some research and enlightened you about this fun holiday. 

Now, you can amaze your friends and family at the dinner table with your vast knowledge!

Who created Make Your Own Head Day? I'm not really sure.

It could have been in 2007 when this Minnesota State graduate, who was immortalized in 50 pounds of butter, had her 15 minutes of fame on David Letterman. You can read about it here

In any case, Make your own head day is a day to make a likeness of your own head in any creative medium you choose. 

You could draw your head with crayons, markers, pencils, or paint. 

You could sculpt your head using clay, Play-doh, tin foil, Rice Krispies, Legos, styrofoam, or even plant matter. Let your imagination fly!

Or since this year, the holiday falls on Thanksgiving, you could be more traditional and use butter. 

Display your head on your dining room table and have your guests use the butter on their biscuits. You may want to take a photo of your buttery creation before everyone digs in, though.

Come to think of it, feel free to send me photos of your work. No matter what medium you use. If I get enough entries, I will run a contest. The photos will be posted in December, and you can all vote on your favorite. The winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card! You can use it to buy books, art supplies, and believe it or not, BUTTER! 

Send your entries to my e-mail: dee stan 62 @ g mail dot com 

(It's written that way to confuse the bots. Leave out the spaces and replace the word 'dot' with a dot.)

My NaNoWriMo Word Count May Not Increase Tonight.

Seventeen years ago on 11/12, at 1:00pm, on an island in the Caribbean, with 30 mph winds, during a storm that lasted 10 days, I married my best friend. 

He's the man of my dreams, who supports me in everything I do, (especially when I'm glued to my keyboard, writing and blogging) and I don't know what I would do without him. 

We've weathered some storms through the years, much like on our wedding day, but through it all, we knew we were right for each other.

Isn't it wonderful when you know you've found your soul mate?

Happy Anniversary to us. 

NaNoWriMo Craziness

Yes, yes. I know. Halloween is this Thursday. While everyone is handing out candy to cute little boys dressed as Minions and sweet little girls dressed as Disney Princesses, I'll be organizing my character lists and preparing myself to start writing at 12:01 am during NaNoWriMo.

What's NaNoWriMo you ask? It's short for 'National Novel Writing Month,' but it's definitely INTERnational. People from all over the world sit down and attempt to write 50,000 words by November 30th. The site has a wealth of information, and if you're feeling brave, there's still time to sign up and write your novel in one month. Come on! Why don't you join me?

My first year was 2009. I completed a really bad novel that didn't follow any rules. It's in my bottom drawer. In 2010, I didn't finish, but I was pretty close. In 2011, I signed up, but didn't write. In 2012, I stayed away from all things NaNoWriMo. No way was I getting sucked in.

I'm convinced it's that 'Accountability' thing. You know--where you voice your intentions in order to keep yourself accountable for your actions. I know NNWM is a personal thing, but I always feel like I let someone down (besides myself) if I don't finish.

I work better under pressure, but what if I can't do it? What if I don't finish? What if I can't write 1667 words a day for 30 days? This is the first month of the Holiday season! When will I shop? When will I clean my house for Thanksgiving? How will I cook all that stuff I'm serving on Thanksgiving day?

Well, I know the answer...if you want something bad enough, you MAKE time. I do most of my Christmas shopping online anyway. Besides, who will complain if my house is less than spotless? Do I really need to make 6 different vegetables when only 5 people are coming for dinner?

I took the plunge. I signed up for NaNoWriMo in November. Yes, that's this Friday. I know, I know, but I haven't done much writing this year. I have a main character who is constantly chattering in my ear, but I can't seem to find the time to sit down and write her story. NaNoWriMo is a great way to dive into the writing pool. We'll see...Maybe I'll do a really big belly flop. Maybe I can't write 1667 words a day for 30 days, but maybe I CAN.

If you'll be participating and want to add me as your buddy, my user name is denise0616. Look me up! If not, you can still keep track of my progress on the blue widget above my picture.

NaNoWriMo scares me! So does this guy...

Wish me luck! Oh and Happy Halloween!

Fun Facts about November

I know, you were all wondering, "Where is this month's Fun Facts?" Please forgive me for being a slacker this month. Here it is:

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November is the 11th month of the year and one of four months with a length of 30 days. November starts on the same day of the week as March and ends on the same day of the week as August.

Those born during the first half of the month are under the Zodiac sign of Scorpio, and those born in the latter part of the month are Sagittarians. The birth flower is the chrystanthemum, and the birthstones are topoz and citrine.

Events:

1st--First day of Winter in Ireland.
2nd--Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico.
        National Deviled Egg Day
3rd--Sandwich Day
5th--Guy Fawkes Night in Britain and New Zealand.
7th--Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
10th--National Heroes Day in Indonesia.
          The birthday of the United States Marine Corps.
          Vanilla Cupcake Day
11th--Saint Maartens Day (Dutch version of Halloween) in the Netherlands. Songs are sung for candy.
          Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth of Nations and various European countries.
          Veterans Day in the US.
12th--National Pizza With The Works (Except Anchovies) Day
13th--Indian Pudding Day
14th--Children's Day in India.
17th--The Leonids Meteor Shower reaches its peak.
19th--Christopher Columbus discovers Puerto Rico in 1493.
          International Men's Day
21st--National Adoption Day
22nd--Thanksgiving is observed in the US and Puerto Rico.
23rd--National Parfait Day
          National Cashew Day

The first Tuesday of the month, Australia holds the Melbourne Cup horse race.
The first Tuesday after the first Monday is election day in the US.
November 11-17th is Geography Awareness Week.
The third Thursday of the month is The Great American Smokeout sponsored by the American Cancer Society and also International Philosophy Day.
The day after Thanksgiving is known as 'Black Friday' in the US.
The Monday immediately following Thanksgiving is known as 'Cyber Monday' in the US.

Famous Author's Birthdays

November 7, 1913--Albert Camus
November 8, 1847--Bram Stoker
November 8, 1900--Margaret Mitchell
November 9, 1818--Ivan Turgenev
November 11, 1821--Fedor Dostoevsky
November 11, 1922--Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
November 13, 1850--Robert L. Stevenson
November 18, 1939--Margaret Atwood
November 22, 1819--George Eliot
November 22, 1869--Andre Gide
November 26, 1905--Emlyn Williams
November 26, 1922--Charles Schultz
November 29, 1832--Louisa May Alcott
November 29,1898--C.S. Lewis
November 30, 1667--Jonathan Swift
November 30, 1835--Mark Twain

November is the National Month for:

National Novel Writing Month
Aviation
Epilepsy
Diabetes Awareness
Stamp Collecting
Toilet Tank Repair
Peanut Butter Lovers
American Indian Heritage Month
Hunger Awareness
Raisin Bread
Pepper

Bizarre Holidays:

November 4th--Waiting For The Barbarians Day
November 6th--Marooned Without a Compass Day
November 9th--Chaos Never Dies Day
November 10th--Forget-Me-Not Day
November 11th--Air Day
November 20th--Absurdity Day
November 21st--False Confessions Day
November 22nd--Start Your Own Country Day
November 28th--Make Your Own Head Day (???)


Well, people, Fun Facts about the 'Months' posts have come full circle.
In December, I'll have to switch gears. I'm thinking of doing 'Holidays.' What do you think?

NaNoWriMo Helpful Hints

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Today is November 3rd, and National Novel Writing Month is in full swing. Thousands of people sat down at their computers Monday at midnight and began their novels.

Never heard of it? Every year in November, NaNoWriMo.org hosts this spectacular event. Thousands upon thousands of people from all over the world, sit down and write. Not for one night, or even a week. We're talking about 30 days of literary abandon. The goal? 50,000 words, or the equivalent of a short novel, before midnight on November 30th.

Not only is this a personal feat, groups of people (which you can sign up to join) from towns, states, writing groups, etc. compete for total word counts. There are forums where you can socialize online, but be careful, they are a distraction. There are even get-togethers at local libraries and coffee shops, kick-off parties and wrap-up parties for those who desire human contact while they write.

What do you win if you manage to reach the 50k word goal in 30 days? Well, you get a big congratulations from the site, along with a badge to display on your facebook page, your website, or blog. Createspace also offers to have your manuscript printed and bound in rough draft. You'll get an amazing sense of accomplishment, AND a really sloppy, totally unorganized first draft of a novel. Don't worry, you can revise later.

There are over 100 Published NaNo Novels listed on their website!

In 2009, I completed the first draft to a novel. (still unrevised and untitled) In 2010, I participated, but couldn't quite finish. For a split second, I thought about doing it this year, but since I'm already deeply involved with my YA novel, I couldn't fathom starting another until this one is completed. Not to mention, I have a gazillion other projects, that have nothing to do with writing, going on in my life.

Since my next 30 days and nights are a little less stressed than those of you actually participating, I thought I would pass along a few tips that I've learned. If you aren't participating this year, but are thinking of trying it in 2012, you'll be prepared.

• To reach 50,000 words in 30 days, a writer must write at least 1,667 words a day. Broken down like that, it doesn't seem so bad, right? But you must be diligent. Even if you go over the daily goal, don't take a day off from writing. You'll be sorry at the end when you're trying to catch up. Keep writing. Every day.
• Before starting, it may be helpful to make a rough outline of your novel. The idea is to type by the seat of your pants and write whatever comes to mind, but it's helpful to have some idea of where your novel is going. 
• Do not revise while typing. Nobody else, but you, will see this draft. Tape a thumb tack with the pointed side up, to your 'backspace' key. Do not let the editor inside you waste time by backing up and fixing anything. The thumb tack will help drive the 'point' home. Haha! Get it?
• Turn off 'spell-checker' on whatever program you're using to write your manuscript. Those ugly red and green squiggles under your words will taunt you to play editor.
• Stay away from the Internet until you type your daily goal of 1667 words. If you need to research something on Google, you can do it during revision.
• If you like music while you write, make up a play list of your favorite creativity music.
• Find other friends or family members to write with you. It's motivating and you can keep each other inspired.
• Most importantly, have fun!

So, if you aren't participating this year, why not think about trying it next year? And if you are one of the thousands of people knee-deep in  the festivities-- What are you doing here? Get back to work! Lol.