NaNoWriMo Take Two

A few years ago, I tried to do NaNoWriMo. And I failed. I definitely did not hit my 50,000-word mark. Instead, I got 23,911 and 61 pages, which really is a decent accomplishment. And being a person who does not like to fail, I decided to try it again - as a total whim.

So, last time, I had a plan. I had ideas for characters and a very brief outline. That made life a smidge easier. This time, I decided to start it a day into the month with absolutely no pre-planning at all. I had a basic idea, but for the most part - I'm flying by the seat of my pants.

I'll be posting on my Twitter what my daily word count is. So far, I've actually caught up to where I should be, and once a week I'll be doing a check in here.

So here's to finishing (or at least getting more words than last time!).

Poem - metaphor (an extended version)

It's worse than the green-eyed monster
But, there's no term for it.
No metaphor.
No nothing.
It just lives.
And grows.

It just eats away at you.
Slowly but surely, it's trying to kill you.
Trying to take away your desire.
Your fight.
Your will.

It makes everything seem like it is pointless.
Everything is too hard to overcome.
Everything is daunting.

Time goes on.
It gets worse.
It builds.
and Builds.
and BUilds
and BUIlds
and BUILds
and BUILDs
and finally BUILDS
until you SCREAM.

You can't take it anymore.
Something has to give

But what?

Everything is too precious
 -in its own right-
in its own way

So how do you determine what goes away?
What takes precedence?

Time for a list.
It makes me scream again.
Makes me anxious

How will it ever get done?
Nothing will get done.
I'm going to fail.
Let someone down.

Worse - let myself down.

poem - 20 questions

The Journey

Is it time yet? Are we almost there?
Why does it always seem to drag? And why,
when it gets here, do I not want it to end?
 But why do I still crave that fresh start?
Am I the only one? Or do the other bodies
in the room - in the building - desire the same thing?
Why do we always look to the "end"?
Why can't we enjoy the ride?
Isn't that the main goal? To enjoy the ride?
Isn't that what we really learn from?
Why do we rush? Why do we not slow down
and take everything in? Wouldn't that make it
more enjoyable? Wouldn't we be more at peace?
If we always just rush to the end, what are we missing out on?
The real lesson? The real point?
Is anyone listening, thinking about this?

Poem example - simile

Bleak World

The world seems like death
Just a lot of little (and sometimes big) sticks
That's all you see dotting the landscape

They mock me
It's like I can hear Nelson's laugh
"Ha, ha."
Or the Soup Nazi
"No green for you."

It seems to drag on and on
It never wants to end
Just lasts forever
     Much longer than the warmth

But eventually it will lose the battle
Little green will start popping up
No more brown will carpet the ground

And then I can mock it
I can laugh like Nelson
"Ha, ha, winter. You've lost again!"

Is ADM safe?

This is a hard question because there are so many options/points we could look at to determine if  our school is safe.

Is it safe from outside attacks?
Is it safe from bullying?
Is it safe from intruders?

To a degree, we can answer yes to all of these questions. But, it also is a matter of perspective and a matter of instance.

Teens are smart; they're not going to pick on kids right in front of a teacher. But am I naive enough to think that there aren't people picking on someone out in the halls? After school? Before school? On social media? Through texting?

No.

And sadly, I can't stop that unless it is made known to me.

I've said it many times this year, and I'll continue to say it. While you may not feel safe anywhere else, my goal as a teacher is to keep you safe for the 43 minutes you are in my classroom. You all know that I won't tolerate anyone being rude to you in my room. This will be a safe place. No exceptions.

Ever.

Because we all need that one safe place.

Standing Ovation for Cory Doctrow

When I first heard about Washington High "banning" Little Brother by Cory Doctrow, I immediately felt shame because I lived and worked in Pensacola for six years. I didn't even want to be connected to a town who felt that action was OK (although at least I wasn't like a few of my friends who were alums of that school - they were really upset).

But, honestly, knowing Pensacola, it didn't surprise me. It's not really a radical town; conservative is a mild way of explaining the town. That still doesn't excuse this behavior. It is just wrong to tell kids they can't read something.

I was proud of the English teachers for continuing to fight against their principal about deleting the book from the summer program because he "didn't like it" (even though he didn't read it; I'm not sure how you don't like something you don't try). I was proud of the commenters on the news articles saying they were going to go out and buy it. I was proud of the students for still wanting to read the book.

But Cory Doctrow was just amazing. Sending free copies of the book? Making a video to talk to the students about their book being banned? Awesome. It took two easy steps to show that he cared - and he didn't even care that someone might not like his book, because he understands that not everyone has the same likes/dislikes. He just cared that kids were being denied the possibility of finding something they enjoyed reading.

We should never take books out of kids' hands. Like Doctrow, we should be putting them IN their hands.

So, bravo, Cory Doctrow, bravo!

Censorship = bad

Censorship = bad.

There's not other way to put it.

Knowledge shouldn't be kept away from people. The more viewpoints we have, the better place the world can become. Its like the notion of truth. No one person holds the real truth, but the more opinions and ideas we gather, the closer we can get to the real truth. The more knowledge we share, the more we can learn about each other and come to a better understanding. The more understanding we have, the less fighting/arguing/war mongering we have - and what's wrong with that?

When we censor or ban books, we're just stopping information. And we shouldn't do that. The forefathers of the country left Britain and fought for our independence so we wouldn't have to deal with that ever again. And why would we want to?

On the flip side, do these people have every right to complain, gripe, dislike, and even not read what they don't like? Most definitely. If they don't agree with it, they have the right to not acknowledge it. But, should they prevent others from NOT reading it? No - and that's where the issue lies. It is perfectly OK for you to not want to read something, but it isn't right to FORCE your ideals on someone else (that didn't work so well for Hitler, now did it?). But, telling people that they can't complain about it is just as bad as taking a book off the shelf. They're also protected under the First Amendment. Just because you don't agree with it, doesn't mean it shouldn't be said. Because those disagreements also bring light or ideas to the forefront that others may not have thought of.

American was founded on the freedom of choice and we shouldn't try to change that. Students should be allowed to read what they want. Let them expand their minds. Let them explore. Let them find themselves. We aren't here to create robots, and if we fully control what they read, that's what we're doing.

I don't know about you, but the world in Fahrenheit 451 (yet another frequently banned/challenged book) didn't seem too appealing to me. So I say, let the kids read.

Repost from September 2012

I did write along with you guys today in class, but I got a little ranty in my writing, so I went back and found my original post about this article. This was originally posted on Sept. 4, 2012.

I don't think we consider too much about how brave we are as a nation. Of course, there are still brave individuals - Andrew Tice is an example of that. But in general - are we really pioneering and willing to risk it all to continue to discover? To do what's right? I'm not sure.

I do think he has a point that we don't fight for truly noble reasons any more. WWII was definitely a noble cause - although no one realized how noble until they started discovering the work compas/the concentration camps. Still, it was greatly understood that Hitler was pure evil. And those who VOLUNTEERED, understood they were putting their lives in danger and that they may not come home alive. And yet, people still volunteered in droves until the end. Tehy weren't afraid to die - they knew what happened at the beaches on D-Day, and yet they still signed up. Lied about their age so they could go fight Hitler or even Mussolini or Tojo. Now, the Armed Forces struggle to get enough enlistment numbers. Sure, it was no problem right after September 11, but even a year later - numbers dropped - and they keep dropping. Too often people now join because they don't know what to do; can't get a job; can't get into school. Too often they aren't joining to be patriotic or to fight for this amazing country; they're just there because it is their last - and maybe only option. They aren't brave. Many times they just want to show that they are manly and brave and want to be "tough and strong." They're not serving our country - they're serving themselves.

We have become complacent; we take our freedoms for granted. And actually, before Sept. 11 - we thought we were untouchable - that nothing like that could happen to us. It was a wake up call, but a wake up call that didn't last long enough. We still think that we're untouchable and that we are right. We aren't always right. Sometimes we use our cowardice, hide behind it and become the big bully. We do this every time we put a new leader in place. Sometimes we do more harm than good. After WWII, and even during the end of it, we were seen as the good guys. That knight in shining armor. Now, we're not. We're rude, crude, obese and unwanted. As a nation, we need to take a deep look inside and see what went wrong to change that perception.

I think once we find what changed that perception and work on getting back to being the "good" guys instead of the perceived big bullies - we'll realize what went wrong. While Capitalism lets us live the American dream, I also think that it is what makes us complacent - lazy. Fat. Greedy. We don't look out for the greater good anymore - we look for the better "me." We don't care if others are struggling or suffering - as long as we're OK and happy that's all that matters. However, if we look out for others, Chances are that all of us will be better off. The base will be stronger, better formed, which is beneficial to us all. Looking to pull up the others is going to make everyone's arms stronger.

Austin has the guts he's writing about. But he is not doing this for the glory - he's doing this to get the story out. He's doing what too few journalists are willing to do. He is honestly trying to make a difference through telling other people's stories. But hes' not looking for the safe easy one He's flown halfway around the world to get out the untold story. And yet, most news outlets here are too scared and chicken to publish it. It's not pretty' it's not safe; it's doesn't come in a nice, neat little package. It's not what American's want to hear because we aren't brave enough to face the truth in the world and look at the nasty stuff that could infiltrate our lives. Instead, give us the happy. The fake. The bloated. The shiny. The plastic.

Calvin's Day at School

Poor Calvin. He was always misunderstood. He's the active crazy child who can drive you up a wall - but he's also really creative. It's a shame that his talent hasn't been tapped into or explored by his teachers because then he wouldn't have such a negative view of school. This is what I hope I don't do to my students.

Even though I mostly like school, there have certainly been times that I've felt each and every one of those cells (comic can be found here). Especially the zombie one - sometimes I look back on how little sleep I got throughout high school and wonder I made it through. Asleep at midnight, up at 5, at school at 7, home at 4, 6 or 10. I can't believe I survived like that for four years.

Luckily, though, I had teachers who were a bright spot in the day. They worked hard to make school not seem like an assembly line and that we weren't just there to get our cup of knowledge for the day. A lot of my teachers tried to make sure they weren't trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. They worked with us to make sure that we fully understood the concept and how it applied to our lives outside of those four classroom walls. Of course this didn't happen every day because those teachers were humans, and you have down days. DAys were you are less energetic, slightly sick, distracted by life. But for the most part, they worked hard to serve our needs.

I remember all too well, though, those classes where I was expected to fit a mold and just parrot back to the teacher (this is why I still have a great hatred for anything Brit Lit - a bad teacher can ruin you for life). I was miserable in those classes. 45 minutes of pure torture. I didn't learn anything and just put in my time. I DON'T want that for my students.

So, this is why I try my hardest to emulate the teachers who tried to reach all of us. It isn't always easy, and sometimes I fall short of that goal. But, I don't want my classroom to feel like an assembly line. I want it to fit my students' needs. I want them to feel like they're being encouraged to grow as people - not just as a score on a test.

Me, in 47 words

Today, I had you write your story in 47 words and then go back and edit it to as many words as you wanted. Here's one of the ones I did today and then the revised version.


Scared faces. Silent room. Awkward pauses. Bumbling words. The first day isn't the easiest. Soon they'll be boisterous. Soon, I'll wish they were timid little mice. It is always an adventure to get to know their personalities. A fresh start. Not every job gets this. I'm lucky.
(FYI: By some miracle, I got to my 47 words on the first try for this one).



Not every job gets this luxury. A fresh slate at the start of every year. New faces that come in: timid little mice at first - some of who will eventually turn into roaring lions after 180 days. I get to see them grow and change throughout that time. Sometimes physically to where they are towering over me. All of them I get to see change emotionally as they mature. Right now, they are stranger, but in May, we'll have strong bonds that will make me get a little teary-eyed when they walk out that door for the last time as freshmen. Sure, there will be moments I cringe and bang my head on my desk, but these are my kids and I wouldn't change any of it for the world.

Arranged Marriage

When I was 18, my dad tried to set me up with someone who was doing an engineering co-op between ISU and John Deere. The guy was almost 10 years older than me, but my dad was really excited about it.

He went on and on one night at dinner about what a great guy he was; he didn’t smoke, didn’t drink, and didn’t swear. My mom snorted at the last one and muttered something about me having a mouth worse than a sailor and I might be able to teach him some new vocabulary (Odd thing: I never swore around my parents in high school; I have no idea how she knew I could swear a blue streak). I never agreed to anything because the guy sounded insanely dorky. And if my dad liked him, there was probably no way I was going to even be the least bit interested in him.

He did stop by one day because he and my dad were planning on going hunting. I went out to investigate, and I tried to keep a straight face. He was a replica of my dad. There was NO way I was going to even consider this (not to mention it was a little creepy that he was 25, and I was barely an adult. When I came back inside, my mom asked me what I thought – and then immediately burst into laughter. I started muttering about him looking really dorky, and there was no chance of anything.

I don’t remember much about him, but he looked scared. I really think that he would have been slightly overwhelmed by me (my filter on what I said was even worse when I was younger - believe it or not, it worked less than it does now). It obviously was not a good fit. 

Was my dad trying to torture me? No. He was trying to make sure that I would be taken care of - this guy was guaranteed a good job and was a good person. He just wasn't right for me (at all). He made so little of an impression on me, I don't even remember his name (it may have been Shane or Shawn - for some reason, those names stick out). So, while I don't agree with the idea of arranged marriages/relationships, I understand where my dad was coming from. And really, that's where all parents during that time period were coming from - they wanted their daughters to spend the rest of their lives with someone who would be able to provide and take care of them. They didn't want them to end up starving and without a house (which was an easy possibility during that time period). By making sure they were marrying someone with a title and wealthy, they knew they'd be taken care of after they left their parent's house.

What I Know Right Now

I know I'm stressed.

The end of the quarter/semester always does this to me. It puts me on edge. Makes me panic. I don't have enough time - and I worry that I won't get everything done on time.

Those essays are weighing on my mind. They need to get done - and done soon so revisions can be done on them. But when do I find the time?

And that semester test still needs to be written. I've got to get that done so there are actual copies of it for next Wednesday - and so I can make a review sheet.

I know I'm not at panic mode yet, but I also know it can be close. It can happen at any minute.

And, right now, that scares me.


I know I need to keep finding time to workout. But that stresses me out. It's the first thing that goes to the wayside when I get stressed. And, I know that's silly because that's the one easy thing to help reduce stress I also know this would be easier if I didn't have to go to the Y and I could just run outside.

I know that I haven't done much today, but I've done a good job of continously writing in my journal. Now I just need to make sure to condense it and put it on the blog. I know I need to do that more often, but, I'm not good at it is. IT is hard to find time to carve out 10 minutes for that because there are so many other things I could be doing.

I know I'm tired. I know this is my fault because I know I need to go to bed sooner. But when it's time to got to sleep, I'm wide awake. And, I know this adds to my stress.

NaNoWriMo - What I Know So Far

We are now more than halfway through NaNoWriMo. Am I up to where I'm supposed to be word countwise? Um, not even close. I may catch up, but I may not. But, I've already learned some things through this process that should help me if I ever choose to do it again.

1. I'm not good at not revising while I write.
It's the editor in me. I want to go back and polish write away. But, in this situation, I know I need to just keep writing (I won't discuss how many times I get "just keep writing, just keep writing, just keep writing" in my head. Thanks Finding Nemo.) I can go back later and polish. This month is just concentrating and getting a word count done.

2. Know your characters!
Usually, I write by the seat of my pants. I got used to it as a reporter because typically you don't have time to make a detailed plan before you write an article - you just write. With this, though, I did have some notes and ideas (although I still don't have an end). But, I didn't really think about my character's motives, thoughts, feelings before I started writing. This has made dialog tough, and it's made coming up with their names even tougher (as of today, most of the character's are just referred to by their relationship to the main character).

3. Don't force writing.
Part of the reason I don't have my word count is that I haven't made myself write every day. I only write when I'm inspired to because if I force myself, it doesn't come out right.

4. Find inspiration, ideas everywhere and anywhere.
Keep your eyes open when you're out and about. You may get some weird idea for a scene -- or even a character. For example, as ridiculous as she was, I owe a very, very drunk girl at the Iowa Wild game a big thanks. Her antics have given me more than 2,000 words for one scene that I didn't know would be in the book but made a great comedic relief scene.

5. Any words are good words.
I may not be happy with what they actually are, but at least I'm writing. I honestly have never written this many words or stuck with a project for this long. So, that makes me really proud and happy. This book may never see the light of day, no one else may read it, and I may never go back through and revise, but it's there. I'll have finished it and written a book. And that's a huge accomplishment in itself.

NaNoWriMo - Taking the Plunge

One of my goals for this quarter was to post on the blog more and to write more with you guys. But that was before I decided to do NaNoWriMo - the challenge to write a novel or at least 50,000 words of a novel during the month of November.

I'm not sure what crazy has overtaken me on this. It's not like I've never thought about writing a book ... That is one thing on my bucket list. But in a month? And during the school year? That's super crazy. 

So, I have been writing more during quick write time, but I haven't been good about posting. And in the next month, I'm going to be posting even less. I have a feeling I'll be using quick write time to get some extra words in. But, I most likely won't post anything I write during this time. I don't even want to give you the plot because I don't want to feel like I've completely locked myself in. I could see myself occasionally posting some excerpts but never the entire thing. 

I will be writing with you - just not what you're writing about. And I will post my progress as the month goes on. Then, on December 1, I'll give you a rundown of how it went, what I learned and if I reached my goal.