I cannot get a thing done around here. Just since I started this blog post, I got:
Child 1: Mom, where is the blank paper for the printer? In this box of office supplies.
Child 2: Mom, where’s your credit card? I need to update my XBox name. You really need to? How much? $10. Here, Mom, I will pay for it myself. Here’s the money. (He hands me $10.) Okay. Now where’s the credit card? Here, take my credit card.
Child 3: Mom, I can’t find my Spanish text book. Where is it? I will help you look. (We cant’ find it. She’s upset.)
Husband: Mary Beth, how come Google is telling me I’m timed out? What does that even mean? All right, I’ll sign you out, now you have to sign back in.
Seriously? I cannot buy a freakin’ vowel around here.
But to cope with the demands, I did what I had to do. I plugged in some headphones (thanks for the tip, queenbeetf) and began writing.
I visited Dr. Wicked’s Write or Die site. There, you set a goal — mine is usually 500 words in 10 minutes, which I’ve yet to achieve. You must keep writing for the committed time, because if you lift your fingers, even for a few seconds, lights will flash, car horns will start honking, and I don’t know what else happens, because I start moving my fingers on the keyboard so that Dr. Wicked will not yell at me ever again. (Fear=motivator.)
So with the prodding from Dr. Wicked, I have broken the halfway mark on my NaNoWriMo novel. I have written 25,012 in 20 days. I have 10 days left to hit 50,000. My NaNoWriMo stats page informs me that I must write 2,272 words per day to hit my mark.
If I hit 400 words in 10-minute increments, five times a day, I should be able to finish. All I need is one extra hour every day.
I want to keep writing. The novel has taken a dark turn, following our crazy (or is she?) mother of three into the subway where she finally gets some relief from her parenting responsibilities sleeping in a secret room under the subway. But when she sleeps, she enter another world where a Corporation is trying to take over souls, forcing happiness on everyone. Our protagonist knows happiness is overrated. Hardship is necessary. Well, that was the plot from today. Who knows what will happen tomorrow? Not me.
The month will be over in a week and a half. I’ll get back to my regularly scheduled life. So until then, people, leave me alone, I’m writing!
Wait, this just in — Child 3 just found her Spanish book (it was on her desk, of all places!). So, there you go. This story ends like most good ones with a happily ever after.
100 Days of Poems and Pics 
I am only glad to hear how much it sounds like my life, albeit with only one child.
Same issues always arising, the paper, the printer isn’t working, where’d my book go?
And can I buy something, it’s only $4.99? And as for google–what does that mean?
Happy Thanksgiving my friend, hope to run into you soon. ~~Paula
Thanks, Paula. It’s good to know I’m not alone! You too! Happy season of giving thanks!
Brilliant post! I had to laugh at this in recognition of myself. This week, people have just been irritating me…all I want to fo is finish these damn edits… Can’t they see we are working?
I am letting so much slide — housekeeping especially. Finish those darn edits. Done is better than perfect. Keep editing.
I popped in after reading a Tweet. Good luck with your word count for the remainder. I’m admiring how NaNoWriMo folks are still blogging. I would never be able to do that and keep up my word count.
Thanks, Stacy. I had some blog posts backlogged for the month, but then wanted to blog about NaNoWriMo because it’s basically taken over my life. Keep up your word count. The month will be over before we know it, I tell myself!
I can relate! I’m at about 47k in my novel, and it’s been a struggle. My very active almost two-year-old has not been a fan of mommy’s writing time: he’s cried when the laptop comes out, told me, no, and tried to close it; driven his cars on the keyboard; thrown chicken nuggets on the keys (that was my favorite haha); and, while sleeping next to me, kicked a button on the keyboard that made my computer lock itself and took me ten minutes to fix. I tried switching to a notebook and he dumped water from the tub on it, stole my pen and ended up back at my notebook where he colored over my new passage before I could catch him, and bit one of the wire spirals, hurting his gums.
NaNoWriMo is an adventure for everyone, but I think it’s the stay-at-home parents who really have to buckle on the bullet proof vest and helmet and ignore the explosions around them as the house tries to function without them for a few hundred words. Maybe I’m biased. Or is that blessed?
Best of luck on finishing your novel!
Brandi, your comment is hilarious. Yes, we are biased and blessed. And I need one of those vests or helmets! My kids SAY they are supportive and ask me, “How is it going, Mom?”
but God forbid, Mommy has a life outside of waiting on them hand and foot. Oh, don’t get me started. Let me just try and write while I have a moment of quiet. I’m hoping to write tens of thousands of words this weekend! You’re almost done so CONGRATULATIONS!