acacia blossoms

acacia blossoms

Thursday, November 19, 2009

gonna spend some time in mozambique - YES

Drizzling soaking rain. The ground is a saturated sponge. The trees are bursting to the seams with new green grown. Tiny leaves are poking their way out of holes in the branches. The road is a running stream and all the dams are full of froggy water.




Tomorrow we are driving to mozambique. I have been writing words like a creature possessed – trying to stay ahead of the word count for the next few days when we are on the road. But I find I am having so much fun with this nanowrimo thing. The characters have become people in my head. I talk about them confusing the living with the fictional. The story would not withstand an expert eye but who cares! Its my story and its all about getting fifty thousand words down. FIFTY THOUSAND WORDS. And I am nearly at forty thousand now. The thought blows my mind. Its more words than I have spoken aloud this whole year I am sure.



Where they come from nobody knows. Where they are going only they know.



So I am taking it with me, and when I have put my feet in that warm silk sea, and gazed at the fish from the boardwalk; and had my first sighting of Dhow Jones on the horizon; and eaten my first prawn, or pineapple, then I shall pull out my laptop and with luck bash out the final stages.



Funny I always worried about how to start a book. But that was easy – I just jumped in the water and started swimming. There was no plot or plan , I just started pushing out words. Then a sort of story line started to emerge – several actually – and I worried about how they would all come together. Now I wonder how to finish.



No pictures today. Sorry but I must go and pack my swimmies and my sunnies. When we get back this place will have transformed into summer green. Stay well everyone, keep smiling – even when people think you are deranged – and enjoy it all. Blog on!!

15 comments:

Janelle said...

ah val FANTASTIC. would love to read it some day...so so glad...and have a wildly gorgeous time in moz hey? xxx j

Angela said...

And I`d so LOVE to come along, and see and hug the children there, and sit with you at the beach and gaze into the warm water(here it is very cold by now)...but you`ll do it for all of us.
And now write the last missing words, bring the story to an end, and then post it as a serial! We are waiting for you to come back!
Love from Geli

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Val - Bravo! You inspire me to try, but that would be really deranged!! Hope we will soon be reading your annoucement about the book being published. I will rush out and get one!

Val said...

janelle - am so looking forward to that moz thing. come with?

Geli - we could swing our legs from the boardwalk!!

Bonnie - deranged is good in that case :-)

thanks for being so quick - i will be thinking of you ALL for sure xxx

Lorac said...

It sounds so exciting, both the book and your trip. Have a wonderful vacation! Good luck with the ending!

Miss Footloose said...

Val, I am new here, so hi!

Mozambique has been on our radar screen for some years. Would love to live there. We've lived in both Kenya and Ghana (as well as other countries) but haven't been to the southern part of Africa except a short visit to Zimbabwe some years ago.

Enjoy the beach and the seafood!


Next, I am in awe of your writing 50,000 words in a month. I've written and published a number of romance novels of that length and it took me MONTHS! The idea of doing it like you is enough to give me an anxiety attack. So, good luck and kudos!

Miss Footloose
www.lifeintheexpatlane.blogspot.com
Tales of the Globetrotting Life

karen said...

Hi Val! Sorry we couldn't make it... how I love the idea of the warm silk of the sea (sigh!).

Hope you have a fab time, and look forward to hearing all about it when you get back x

Lauri said...

Fantastic about your book Val! No rough draft is up to scratch. Writing happens more in the edits so have no fear. You'll carve out the novel hidden in here.

Have fun in Mozambique. We went a few years ago, campiing. I have to say I love the fatalism in African culture but the Mozambiquans take it to an entirely new level.

Lori ann said...

Have a stunningly good time Val. I hope you enjoy every moment, in between the sea and the writing, have a drink for me okay?

safe travels ♥

Unknown said...

See, I told you - once you got started you'd be on a roll! I'm so glad you're doing NaNo - it gives one the encouragement and the discipline just to go for it - what happens after, well, whatever happens :-)
Hope you have a great time in Mozambique - at least I now know why our Scrabs game is in limbo! ;-) x

Anonymous said...

so sorry I couldn't join you guys!
hope it's been great
lots of words
lots of sanctuary bliss
lots of inspiration

lots of love
x

Val said...

Lorac - thanks for the good wishes!

Miss Footloose - hello and welcome. ah yes mozambique is a beautiful country - especially that coast line!
i managed to finish that MS despite the distractions ofmoz!! and ahem well we are talking quantity NOT Quality here.

Karen - another time maybe?

Lauri - certainly that ms probably needs a total rewrite! but it was lots of fun and i enjoyed the journey

hi Lori - Moz was awesome, and yes - i think i did....

AbVan - yes you were so right about that.

Janet - it was - and your kalahari pics are awesome

xxx thanks everyone will blog about it all soon xxV

Reya Mellicker said...

I, too, would love to read your book sometime. I bet it's great.

I might have missed a blog announcing it, but did the two rivers meet with all the plentiful rain?

Val said...

hi Reya
yes they did meet - the last bit went really fast and everyone missed the moment! hahaha - they had a celebration anyhow :-)

Marilynne said...

I met the NaNoWriMo challenge this year, 50,000 words is a lot isn't it? I'm assuming you finished because you were so close when you wrote. Congratulations.