Delayed Start

Cut the ribbon, fire the starting gun, jump on in.

Exactly a week after NaNoWriMo officially started, I'm doing my half-assed best to get started. And my-oh-my, is it slow going.

Seriously behind on The Crown.

It may be pulling out toenails while trying to swim upstream in frozen molasses slow, but it's going. I am, when the planets align and everyone's chakras are in balance, fully capable of churning out several thousand words a day. Which means I am fully capable (in theory) of catching up and then exceeding the 10,000+ words I'm currently behind. In case it isn't obvious, someone within a 300 mile radius of me does NOT have their chakras in order.

Too harsh?

But progress, I suppose, is progress. Today is the first day in all of November that I've been able to do any kind of brainstorming or even focus on crafting (ha!) a scene in my head. And while I may falter on the kind of fabric somebody's cloak is made of (seriously, this is the kind of stumbling block I trip over when my brain is on super-slow-motion creatively) when I know full well and good it doesn't freaking matter by the time I get to editing (ha!) words are sort of starting to fill in on the page. And I'm trying to convince telling myself that it's only a matter of time before I hit a scene (or Lord willing several of them) where my creative engines are off and to the races. The kind of frantic typing where I forget to eat and don't stand up for hours on end. Glorious productivity. 

Here's where I stand with NaNoWriMo: I have less than 21 days to get all 50,000 words in to win. A quick peek at the calendar will tell you that means I have to get done before the end of the month. Why am I starting so late and why do I need to finish early? My parents. 

My mother's mental condition continues to be unsteady. And my dad seems to be unraveling before my eyes from the stress. The two of them together? It's been a little taxing.

The good-ish news? They've gone to visit one of my siblings. My completely unprepared and inexperienced sibling. So I have less than 3 weeks to write 50,000 words, try to piece together some semblance of inner peace and figure out the holidays before they return, on top of the rest of regular every day life stuff. And that's betting that my mom makes it the full expected length of the visit and I don't have to go peel her off the ceiling and go collect them early. 

The house, temporarily down 2 occupants, feels somehow less oppressive. Like I'm not entirely drowning in "Oh dear God, what's going to happen next when she wakes up." I mean, I realize she could flip out on them up there at any moment, but it's not as in my face right now. And my dad flitting around in a combo of anxiety and frustration has other people to do things with. Maybe the extra distractions will help his mindset. Honestly though, as I was driving home yesterday I'll admit I entertained the idea of sage-ing my house. What candle do you burn to drive out bad juju and bring in hope and renewal? Preferably something I can get with 2-day shipping from everyone's favorite online retailer or maybe a quick trip over to Cassadaga.