Well November is winding down and I survived! This is always a nutty month for teachers. Report cards go home - this requires a lot of work on our part. We also had a new computer program to work with this year so that added to the chaos. I takes about an hour per kid per report card usually. Probably a little more this year with the new program. Doesn't sound like much until you add in the fact that most of us have more than 30 kids in the classroom - this year I've got 33 - and that we do all of this outside of regular work hours. :)
So I managed to fit in reports and finish the 50k words for NaNo. The family didn't even starve - although I did rely on pizza or subs a few times. :)
I'm not finished with the story yet - probably another 15k to go at this point. I think I'll finish it up and then head on back to that rewrite. I wasn't planning on doing NaNo until the last minute - Nov 1st actually - so I'm a little surprised the story had the legs to get here. Some of it's even not horrible...I think. Maybe I should reserve judgment until I do those revisions - hopefully in February or March.
Now life will revert to the normal kind of chaos. I've been AWFUL at visiting blogs this month. Hopefully December will be better. Although it IS December and we all know what that's like... Cross your fingers!
How did your November go? What did I miss?
114 comments:
Congrats on finishing your 50K, Jemi! Especially with having to do reports cards on a new computer program – they said it would make a teacher's life easier, right? Well, at least you're not pressing down through four copies any more. ;-)
Didn't do Nano but I've almost finished the second draft of my MG fantasy. November flew by. I have a feeling December will do the same.
Kathryn - thanks!! You're right - pressing through those carbons was a NIGHTMARE!!! I do love the computer programs, but sometimes the first time through is a little bit crazy! :)
Sounds like your draft is zipping along! Probably just like December will :)
wow, jemi! You are a writing inspiration! I should think of you whenever I'm too tired at the end of the day to write!
Terry - lol :) Thanks! I think it was to make up for a very BLAH writing time in October! I think the fresh story was just what I needed to kick start my brain again.... I hope!
Yay, you! That's amazing that you did NaNo on top of everything else. I'm so impressed.
Thanks Tricia - I'm pretty happy - but we'll see if that holds true when I read through what I've written! :)
Congratulations on finishing NaNo, Jemi! That's really amazing, especially since you have so much on your plate. :)
Emy - thanks! I always have too much on my plate - but I like it that way. I tend to do better under pressure - so that's the way life turns out! :)
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Yay you won nano and survived to tell the tale!! Well done you!!! Yay!!! And the best is knowing that you've got a potential novel just waiting to be polished and revised asap!!
Have a great Sunday!!! I think we are all just waiting for Christmas - I know I am!! I love Christmas!! Take care
x
Old Kitty - Thanks!!! :)
I love Christmas too - even all the (self-induced) chaos that goes along with it :)
I enjoy most of the chaos of this month. I'm a teacher too, Jemi, and we have midterms coming up in two weeks so I have so evaluations to get done.
Congrats on NaNo
Susan - obviously you teach high school! :) Midterms have got in include some heavy duty marking. Sometimes I feel I do more assessing than teaching :)
Huge congratulations for surviving NaNo. It's such a wonderful feeling. AND it's awesome to be able to say some of it isn't horrible. I can so relate. I thought my NaNo story would be terrible, but I actually think I don't mind some of it. Shocking. I'm hoping we can both stay focussed to finish the last few thousand words :)
Lynda - Thanks!! You too! :) You're so right - now that the challenge is done, it's hard to keep up the pace. In fact I've spent the past hour or so catching up on blogs instead of moving ahead with the story!
...50k in a month...you're my hero, Jemi! That nasty varmint known as TIME, or lack thereof, was the sole culprit in my not participating this year...but as they say in sports...maybe next year:)
In any sense, well done. An amazing accomplishment!
EL
Elliot - lol :) Thanks!!
Time is a nasty culprit indeed. I think I'm going to spend the next few days catching up on the sleep I've missed in the last few weeks. :) I don't know why NaNo makes me happy - but it does! :)
Congratulations on completing NaNo.
Yvonne.
Thanks Yvonne! It was a roller coaster ride! :)
Congratulations! Surviving NaNo is certainly something to be proud of. Perhaps next year I'll be in a position to participate, too. :) Enjoy your success!
I hit 50000 today! Almost 51000. And I've still another 20000 plus a lot of detail to add.
Good stuff, Jemi - we rock!
Elle - thank you!! It works for me - I love the nuttiness and the challenge. :)
Alex - we certainly do!!!! Congratulations :) I definitely have to go back in and add stuff too - I've left myself a few notes :)
big kermi YAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, jemi ;)
CONGRATS!!!!! ✩♡✩
I 'won', too. But it's not finished, and it has lots of drop downs and notes etc.-- I'll work on it again in January. I'm going to take December off from writing, focus on my family, the holidays, decorating, baking and reading and maybe do some research.
Again, CONGRATS. *hugs*
Congrats on finishing!
Yay, congratulations on winning NaNo! <3 You rock.
Laughing Wolf - lol :) Thank you!!!! :)
Lola - Thanks!! Congrats to you too :)
That sounds like a wonderful way to spend December! I hope you enjoy each and every moment!
Thanks Sandra!! I'm excited! :)
Meagan - thanks!! It's been a crazy month - but I'm glad I did it!! :)
hi miss jemi! wow you got done with tha nano stuff and youre still living to talk about it. for sure im glad for that! :) now you gotta take a little time for resting up before you get going on the holiday stuff. do some thing really nice for YOU!
...hugs from lenny
Lenny - you are one of the sweetest people I know! It has been incredibly busy. I started Christmas shopping last weekend, and even did some baking today! So, I think you've got a great idea. Maybe I'll take a whole evening off and read!!! That would be fun :)
Congratulations on your NaNo accomplishment! Just taking on the challenge is a huge success. I've been slinged up the month of November; so my workings have been slow but I'm healing!
Lynn - glad to hear you're getting better. Arm in a sling is no fun when your fun involves a keyboard! Good luck getting all the way healed! :)
Congratulations, Jemi, and good luck with the new software! This year, I'm editing after NaNo, even though I have another 30-35k to go. That should pretty much eat up December. :)
That is so awesome Jemi!! Many congrats, I wish I had done it this year.
VR - Thanks - and congrats to you as well! :)
December tends to fly right on by - it's sometimes hard to keep up with it! :)
Karen - thanks! I really hadn't planned on nano this year either - but it wouldn't let me leave it alone! :)
Congrats Jemi!!! You rock!
I am in awe, Jemi. I did not NaNo, but the month was nutty enough without it. Am glad I did not even think of taking that extra thing on.
Congratulations! I skipped NaNo this year, but just the other idea the perfect idea came to me. Now I'll have something to work on in 2011.
Congrats on finishing NaNo!
You've nailed precisely why I don't think I'll ever attempt NaNo- November is crazy for teachers! I start National History Day with my students this month and things just get crazier from there.
But I did get a big chunk of a first draft written- I'm pretty happy with it.
Happy December!
Congratulations! That's a lot of work. And....I resort to pizza and subs for the family even when I'm *not* writing a novel in a month. :)
Congrats! Not sure how you did it working full time but that's awesome!
Erica - thanks so much! I see you got there a bit before I did - congrats to you as well! :)
Rayna - there are months where it would be absolutely impossible to do NaNo - I'm just glad I managed to finish :)
Rebecca - thanks! I'm glad you've got a fresh new idea. They're so much fun! Good luck with it :)
Stephanie - I do wish it was another month - there are a couple months that would be worse, but not many! National History Month sounds like fun! :)
Elizabeth - thanks! It was fun - and I do use the pizza & sub routine at other times as well :)
Laura - thanks! I'm not really sure either! :) It helps that I type pretty quickly!!
Yay!!! Jemi you rocked it! I love the button! Looks like I need to pick mine up as well! I finished my novel for Nano, started revising another, started a new story as well. A publisher is interested in some of my work, and just like that it's all over and onto the next month. Wow how some months fly by!
Excellent! I absolutely know how thrilling this is having done it last year - this year I did it rebel style - using the form to get my critical revision done (plot and structure) then I quit. Last year's nano novel sits in its que awaiting my attention. 'settle down there little half-finished novel -I'll get to you in late spring by my calculations...' so the nice thing about finishing such a marathon is how much time you have! Never mind school and holidays -you still will have gizillions of hours you didn't yesterday!
Congrats Jemi! Awesome achievement! And, -don't worry I relied on Pizza a few times and I didn't do NaNo. November has been all about working on my WIP revisions. ;) Have a lovely week!
Congrats on surviving NaNo Jemi! It sounds like you had a very hectic month. That's great that you were still able to get your 50k in! :)
congrats. it's a great achievement.
Congrats on finishing. I got "sidetracked" with revising a proposal, but since I wasn't really doing NaNo, I'm satisfied with the progress I've been making on my other WIP.
Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery
Mind boggling. Congratulations!
Wow. You da woman. Congrats!!
Congrats, congrats! :D
Fantastic and with reports too! Congratulations.
I took some time off to redesign and refocus my blog - and me! So looking forward to visiting everyone again!
Yay Jemi! That's so awesome. I'm so glad you leaped in and did nano this year. Another novel to add to your resume!
Congrats, Jemi! You teach, read, write, and blog. And you Nano. That's amazing. :)
Jen - you're right some months do fly right on by!!!
You've had SUCH a productive month! Awesome :)
Jan - exactly! I should have been doing my rewrite - but I actually think doing the new story instead helped me a lot. :)
Talei - thanks! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who uses pizza in a pinch!! :) Good luck with those revisions - I have to head back to a rewrite soon!
Jessica - it really was nuts!! I'm not quite sure quite how I got to the finish line - except I know I did a lot less blogging.
Michelle - thanks! I'm quite thrilled with how far I've gotten into the story :)
Terry - sounds like you made a lot of progress anyway! I don't have any real life deadlines to deal with in my writing so I was able to focu on nano :)
Linda - lol :) Yup - I'm definitely a little mind-boggled!!!
Jennifer - Thanks! I'm amazed and thrilled with the way it all turned out :)
Golden Eagle - thanks so much! It's been a crazy month!! :)
Alexa - yup - the reports were tough - but somehow it all worked out in the end :)
Diane - glad to see you back!! I'll have to pop on over :)
Julie - thanks! I'm happy with the decision to do it too. It really gave me an injection of freedom with the writing again - which I needed :)
Medeia - thanks! It has been so much more chaotic than usual - thankfully I don't mind a touch of chaos! :)
Congrats! on your Nano milestone. Its a lot of work and you deserve to reward yourself accordingly.
Stephen - Thank you!! I think the best reward is chocolate!! ... and maybe a bit of reading time as well :)
Congratulations on NaNo. That's a huge deal. Keep us up on what happens with what you wrote. If I did NaNo, I suspect it'd be a huge mess.
Helen - thank you!! I think parts of it are a total disaster, but I think other parts are pretty good. I like the whole plot and the characters as well :) We'll see what happens.
Congrats, Jemi! You did way better than me. My goal was to finish my novel, which I started before NaNo. Um, I might be half way finished by December 1st. My new goal is to be finished it by the end of December. :D
Thanks Stina!! :)
I don't have any problems with resetting goals - they're only guidelines to help us move along our paths. December is a total nutty month for me - I don't know how much of anything I'll get done! :)
Yeah Jemi!! Congratulations!! You go girl! I know that must have been hard, but you rock. December will be a piece of cake in comparison.
Congrats, Jemi! What a great achievement.
I have no idea where November went!
Lisa - thanks! I really hope December will be like that! I've even started my Christmas shopping - which doesn't usually happen this early! :)
Talli - thanks! I'm pretty excited I made it through. November just flew by - I think it's been the quickest month ever!! :)
Me again! Just wanted to let you know I have an award for you over at my blog today. :)
Congrats on completing NaNo! I can't even imagine juggling all that. Well, as a fellow educator, I guess I can. Hope the rewrite goes well as they can be a headache after awhile. :D
Way to go Jemi!!! I'm proud of you. Not a small undertaking at all! Now you can take all of December to relax. :)
Congrats!!!! That's huge, Jemi. This month did feel crazy for a lot of people. I know it was for me--and I didn't even do NaNo! I can't believe you got so much writing done on such short notice while real life was still so crazy.
Welcome back to this side of chaos! :o) lol
Congratulations, Jemi! A challenge met and conquered is truly something to celebrate:)
Jessica - wow! Thank you so much - I'll pop on over! Thanks :)
Chary - exactly! That's why I did the Nano break I guess. My mind needed a break from the rewrite story. Hopefully I'll see what needs to be done when I pick it back up again :)
DL - lol - yup relax in December - that's always the way it goes!!! :)
Thanks - I'm so pleased to have 'won' - it's always so much fun to get that first draft down :)
Jackee- thanks! This side of chaos is a little more relaxed - so far :)
Terry - thanks! I do love challenges - there's just something about that graph showing if you're ahead or behind where you need to be. I become a little obsessed :)
Congratulations on surviving and finishing NaNo - that sounds like a crazy month! I didn't do NaNo this year - maybe one of these Novembers. :)
Susan - thanks! It was absolutely nuts around here - but it was also a lot of fun! :)
Congratulations, Jemi and well done. I did a mini nano experience this year. It was a small accomplishment at least. ;D I'm only about 1/2 way through the book.
Victoria - thanks!! :) There's no such thing as a small accomplishment! Half way through is awesome.
I love how different writers approach tasks. I know nano doesn't work for a lot of people - but I love it. It gets me excited ... and competitive! :)
Congratulations on completing NaNoWriMo! With a full-time job and report cards. Very impressive.
I can barely manage to write. I think I've gotten 4k down in 6 weeks. Now I miss daily subbing.
Theresa - thanks! I has been incredibly nuts - but at least it's been fun.
Don't be hard on yourself! You need AGES to get settled into a new job and a new routine! Teaching requires so much heart, soul and brain. There's no way you can start a new job, do it well and still have much energy to write. It DOES get easier though. Once you really know your kids, their strengths, your plans, you'll have more time. Good luck with it all!!! :)
You go girl! I love how effortless you make life look!
Congrats on the win and the still alive family. It's nice to balance them all so neatly.
Hugs~
Cat - I wish!! Thanks though :) We did make it through - but I've been able to breathe a little more since Sunday! :)
Wow, Jemi! That's impressive. Congratulations! Seriously well done! I can't believe you got all of that accomplished in one month. =)
Thanks Shannon! I'm really not sure how it all got done, but it did! :) so exciting!!
You are awesome (or as ya say "the beast")!!! Congratulations on all you did in November. :)
Sharon - lol :) It was a truly chaotic month - but I'm thrilled I did it. Thanks!!
Congratulations! I am in the same boat with you in almost everything about NaNo and blogging. Now I'll try to get back to my regular blogging schedule and finishing off my novel.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Thanks Lee! It'll be interesting to try to get back into the 'old' routines after November. It's been quite the fun month! :)
You AMAZE me! So proud of you!
Hmmm. November. Two deadlines and a viewing of "Waiting for Superman."
Every present, past, and future teacher should see it. I'd love to hear your input.
Patti
Patti - thanks so much!!!
Sounds like you had a productive November too! I haven't heard of Waiting for Superman before. I just checked it out - I'll have to look more deeply - looks fabulous!
Congrats on NaNo. Sounds like you had a busy month, but you also got some good work out of it. Good luck finishing up the 15K.
Rosie - thanks! It was a(nother) crazy month! I've been slower since then (no real surprise) but I've caught up on a few of the blogs I've missed - many more people to go!
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