I love to get things. I’ll happily go to the store and purchase a pair of fuzzy pajama bottoms or a new bathroom organizer that will do nothing but sit on the wall taunting me with its messy shelves and utter lack of organization.
The problem comes when something has to be returned. See. The getting is so easy, but the returning is soooo hard.
A DVD that was “borrowed” and never returned.
Clothes ordered online that didn’t quite fit right, but were never returned.
The oil can we borrowed from our landlord and have yet to return. She lives downstairs.
The shower rod we bought for … I can’t remember why … and still haven’t returned.
The library book I’ve yet to return.
So what is it? Why am I so bad at returning things?
My best guess – The thrill of getting is way more powerful than my desire to sit on the couch. And there is no thrill in returning.
Cue the awkward segue: Is there anything else more powerful than my desire to sit on the couch?
Yes! NaNoWriMo.
I’m joining the band of crazy people who have decided it’s a good idea to write a novel in a month. That’s 50,000 words in 30 days folks. At the end of November I’ll have 50,000 words added to my novel. It will be glorious. And you know what else is glorious? I can do it while sitting on the couch!
If anyone wants to be writing buddies, let me know 🙂
Jennifer Windram 
I’m thinking about doing nanowrimo, but I’m on the fence….
You should do it! It will keep your mind of the query process 🙂
At least your unreturned library book is a good one! I routinely forget to return library books and end up owning enormous fines. I check out 30-40 books at a time for my kids (hey, they’re free, right?). But then they’re not so free when I have a $14 fine for returning them late. Ugh.
You’re probably keeping the library in the black with your late fees, Nicole. Maybe even paying for a part-time employee’s salary. 😉
Ha. Yeah, the library staff probably hears a little “cha ching” whenever you walk through the door.
I’ve been trying to stick with borrowing books through my e-reader, but that probably wouldn’t work with kids’ books.
I know, I know.
I did remember to renew my last batch of books on time. Maybe I can turn over a new leaf. 😉
Best of luck to you! My November is too busy for NaNo, so I won’t be participating. I’m traveling four times between Oct. 30th and Dec. 4th. Yikes.
Yeah. That would be way too stressful. Right now my schedule isn’t too bad, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Have you done it in the past?
No. I always have conferences in November. Plus there’s Thanksgiving travel. Summer months are no good either. Maybe January would be the best month. That’s a long, cold, dull month.
I’ve always thought the same thing!
I have a dvd under my couch (yes under) that a friend lent me three years ago. The problem is she has moved to the city of Adelaide, 1300km away, and I don’t know how to get it back to her. I could post it, or hand it to her when she it next in town. I’m not sure she remembers that I’ve got it. I’d hate to think of her looking at her shelves and thinking “Where is Tristan + Isolde?” So yes, I feel your dilemma!
I won’t be nanowrimo’ing, but I’m thinking of creating a graphic novel! I scoped out the plot on the weekend. Are you planning on finishing Libby?
Ha! I have lots of DVDs that will never find their way back to their rightful owners. I can just picture her, working herself into a frenzy, pacing around the room, wondering if Gremlins stole it!
It will be the second book in the series. Libby, well really it’s Emme’s story, but Libby is in it, is in the final stages of revision!
A graphic novel – that’s great! You’re very talented so I’m sure it will be outstanding.
How exciting! Let me know if you need support or feedback. I’m a big Libby fan you know!
Yay… I did this last year. I wrote most of a novel in the time we were given… it was a murder mystery in world war two London. I even wrote a bunch of my blog followers in as characters. It is being edited right now by a crazy Canadian…
How did it go?
Trent?
I think it came out well… and yes, he is my secret editor…
Very cool. I like the idea of working in your blogging friends. Now I’m bummed I didn’t know you back in the day. I could have been famous!!
How sneaky of him…
Can you edit? Because I can write you in to the 5th sci-fi book if you help out.
Tempting! I’d have to make it through NaNo first before I can do any editing. Are you talking about big picture or grammar, syntax, spelling?
No… just spelling… the rest I took care of by having an alien write the books… and he has his own style.
And I wouldn’t be doing the fourth book for at least 8 months.
I did NaNoWriMo a few years ago and loved it. I reworked Snow White in modern times. Then I discovered someone else was already doing that in the real writing world so it has remained my own, private baby.
Good luck! I had tons of fun amd met some good people doing it.
I’m glad you had a positive experience! I’m hoping for the same.
It’s frustrating, though, that someone was already doing something similar with Snow White. I frequently will read a book and find a scene, subplot, character, something that reminds of me of my book, and I try not to let that discourage me because everyone tells their story a little differently, right?
I still have the girl’s summer books, checked out from the library. I have had a pair of boots to return in my trunk for nearly a month. I need to be picky about what I buy, simply because I despise the return process so much.
I am thrilled to be your crazy Nano cohort!
I know. I’m so glad I have online streaming and can check out books to my Kindle. It saves me so much hassle. And if I don’t like the movie or book, I just stop watching/reading it. With clothes, you still have to go through the process of packaging it up and returning it. We need to invent a way to virtually try on clothes before ordering them!
Yay, NaNo!
Totally with you on the returning front – just so hard to do. It’s also because I’m a hoarder, I keep everything, so returning just goes against my hoarding gene. If it wasn’t for my husband I’d probably one of those crazy people you see on TV shows, haha.
And I’m doing NANo too. Give me a shout and we can cheer each other on! 🙂
http://nanowrimo.org/participants/cfjeanjean
I’ve questioned whether I’m a hoarder, but I think I’m just lazy. It’s easier to keep all the junk stacked in a pile in the corner, than go through it and figure out what I want to keep versus get rid of.
Cool! I need all the motivation I can get 🙂
Cool I’ll see you at nano then 🙂
I am sure you will excel Jennifer! You have a lovely style and an envious wit!
Thank you, Julie! I’m trying to get myself pumped up right now. It’s a lot of words in 30 days, about double what I normally write, so we’ll see!!
Best of wishes for NaNo! I could never do it myself, but I’m cheering you and the other participants on from the sidelines!
Last year I didn’t participate because I was deep in revisions on my first book and then this year rolled around and it felt like perfect timing, so I decided to give it a shot. I’m really excited right now, but we’ll see how I feel come November 15th 🙂