An Update On... Me!

It’s official. I can no longer pretend that I have not reached middle-age! Today is the 11th anniversary of my 29th Birthday – or if you don’t want to do the math that means it’s my 40th Birthday. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! Ok, now that I have the shameless, and obnoxious, plug out of the way…

I have to admit, that turning 40 hasn’t bothered me that much, other than the fact that it just sounds weird when I apply it to myself. And we really do want to have another baby, and being older tends to complicate things in that area. But, I have learned to appreciate, uh, maturing, because I have found that I really do get better with age. And from what I’ve experienced, each decade has been better than the last. I feel none of the angst or depression that often seems to accompany this milestone birthday, I really am good with it.

One thing I am really excited about is that I did complete NaNoWriMo 2008, which means that I wrote a novel in 30 days. My final word count is 52,518! Yes, it still has a lot of work that’s needed as for editing and such, but I did it! This is a great accomplishment regardless, but it was a goal of mine to write a novel before my 40th birthday, and I did it! I’ll do a blog post soon with the extended synopsis of my novel and periodically, I’m sure I’ll update you on the status too. Like all writers, I hope this first novel is not my last, and that one day I’ll be published. We’ll see if that’s what God has for me.

With the Holidays upon us, things get crazy and hectic and I’m sure we will all be around a bit less in this blogging world. I’m taking some time to really think and pray about what my blog will look like next year. This includes content as well as aesthetically. I have a couple of ideas, but will turn them over to the Lord to see what He thinks about it all. I am confident that I will continue to post a “Love Letter” each Monday from the book His Princess. In addition, I’ll be getting back on track for continuing my series on Choosing Life.

I’d like to offer thanks, one more time, to all of you who have encouraged me, supported me and helped me to grow through this first year of blogging. I’ve made some wonderful friends, read some amazing blogs and have grown not only in my writing and blogging journey, but in my spiritual journey as well. Thank you all for the part you’ve played in this.

I’m really excited to be able to begin reading and commenting more on all of the wonderful blogs I’ve missed, while I took time away for NaNo. God bless you all! ~ Tracy


P.S. By the way, I am the featured guest writer this week in the Writer’s Lounge. If you’d like to read my article, all you have to do is click here.

Today's the Day

Whohooo! My big day has arrived! As I mentioned last Thursday, my writing is being featured in two separate places, besides here at Seed Thoughts. Unfortunately, a have a sick little one, so this will be a brief post, but I would be thrilled if you were to check out my other two posts and let me know what you think.

The first is a Thankful post that is being featured on Julie Arduini’s The Surrendered Scribe blog. She is participating in NaBloPoMo, which is National Blog Posting Month, which challenges participants to post 30 blog posts in 30 days. She has chosen the topic of ‘Thankful’ and is featuring a different guest writer each day of the month. I am so thankful that she has allowed me to participate and bring my biggest ‘Thankful’ of the year to her blog. The title of the post is Thankful For the Wait. If you haven’t been over to read some truly amazing ‘Thankful’ blog post, I highly recommend you do. I’m sure it’ll bless your socks off!

The second is at Take Root and Write, an online collaboration of Christian women writers, who compose words of encouragement, insight and thought for the journey we are all on. I am honored and blessed to be regular monthly contributor there. My monthly column will be an extension of the series I’m doing here on my blog and will be called ‘Choosing Life’. The title of my first post is called Why Choose Life.

Thank you so much, to all of you who are so wonderful about reading and commenting on my posts and for all of the encouragement you’ve given me along the way. NaNoWriMo is nearly over and I’ll be back visiting you soon. Blessings!

Writing For the Lord ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! I’m so happy to be able to offer up “Thanks” regularly for the many wonderful blessings I have, whether large or small, significant or mundane. I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

This is going to be a slightly different ‘Thankful’ post for me today. The year is nearing the end, with a new, fresh year full of potential and new beginnings right around the corner. I was thinking about where have I changed or grown the most in this last year. Of course, it would have to be in being a mommy! But that’s a different post, for a different day. The other area that I have experienced great growth and change has been in my writing.

At the start of this year, I felt the Lord impress me to begin writing again and to be public about it. I had no idea what that looked like, but because He is faithful, he took over and has led me to where he wants me to be and He has guided my writing. I am so thankful for this and it is my desire to point others to Him and to give Him all the glory.

He led me to a wonderful site called FaithWriters, an online Christian Writing Group, which allowed me to first get my feet wet and do some writing, which would be commented on and critiqued. I am so grateful for FaithWriters because I did learn and grow in my writing very quickly, and it was there, that I discovered the wonderful world of blogging and was inspired to start my own blog – Seed Thoughts. And the best bonus of all, was the amazing group of writers that encouraged and inspired me, who have become wonderful friends. I am so thankful for each and every one of them. (You know who you are – go ahead, take a bow!)

In April of this year, I discovered blogging, and must say I was immediately hooked. I love this fantastic bloggy world. It is easy to look back and see how God has grown me in my writing, and more importantly, to see how He has used me to spread His word and offer encouragement to others. This blog, Seed Thoughts, has led to starting another one called He Said, She Said which is a team blog with my amazing husband. It gives us the opportunity to offer two perspectives of the same thing, from a man/husband view, to a woman/wife view. I am so thankful for the opportunity to blog on my own and with my husband, and I am so, so thankful for the faithful readers who honor me with their time and comments. Once again, the icing on the cake in the whole blog experience, has been the amazing group of fellow bloggers who continue to bless, challenge and inspire me regularly. The quality of the content of their writing and knowledge of the Word is superb, and I have grown from reading their insights.

As many of you know, I am also participating in NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writers Month, which challenges participants to write a whole novel, of at least 50,000 words, in 30 days. It has been a wild ride, an exciting challenge and a fun experience. It was a deep desire of mine to write a novel before my 40th birthday, and guess what? I will! The challenge runs from Nov. 1st – Nov. 30th and I turn 40 on December 1st. After a rough start, with losing a beloved pet, I am now doing very well and am ahead of schedule! I’m so thankful for this experience and for the motivation that it is giving me to go even further with my fiction writing.

Now, I have big writing day coming up, on Monday, Nov. 24th, 2008. In addition to my regularly scheduled Love Letter of the week, from the His Princess book by Sheri Rose Shepherd, I have two other places where my writing will be featured. I am amazed that God continues to allow me to do this and am so thankful for the continued opportunities.

The first is going to be featured on Julie Arduini’s The Surrendered Scribe blog. She is participating in NaBloPoMo, which is National Blog Posting Month, which challenges participants to post 30 blog posts in 30 days. Julie, who is a wonderful and Godly woman, has chosen a very distinctive way to achieve this. She has chosen the topic of ‘Thankful’ and is featuring a different guest writer each day of the month. As you can probably surmise, I am featured there on the 24th. I am so thankful that she has allowed me to participate and bring my biggest ‘Thankful’ of the year to her blog. If you haven’t been over to read some truly amazing ‘Thankful’ blog post, I highly recommend you do. I’m sure it’ll bless your socks off!

The second other place you’ll find me, is at Take Root and Write, an online collaboration of Christian women writers, who compose words of encouragement, insight and thought for the journey we are all on. I am honored and blessed to be regular monthly contributor there. My monthly column will be an extension of the series I’m doing here on my blog and will be called ‘Choosing Life’. There are many different topics and columns, with dozens of amazing Christian women writers. This is a place that I’m sure you’ll want to spend lots of time. It is a wonderful online ministry. I’m so thankful that Noelle has chosen me to be a regular monthly contributor and share in her vision of reaching and encouraging women as we all go through life together.

Thank you, Lord, for all of these amazing opportunities you’ve given me. You have given me a gift to write and words to say, and have caused me to grow greatly in this. Your faithfulness has never let me down and I know it never will. I know that I am merely your tool, and apart from you, I can do nothing. I am so thankful, blessed and humbled that You have chosen me. In Jesus’ precious Name, I pray. Amen

More From "He Said, She Said"

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to let you know that if you are interested, that both Jeff and I have recently posted on our team He Said, She Said blog. Jeff did a post called "Choices, Changes and Challenges", while I did a post called "The Times They Are A Changin'". We are really enjoying doing this together though we don't get to do it as often as we'd like at this point. This is the busiest time of year for Jeff at his job and of course, I'm still sluggin' through NaNoWriMo. Thanks for reading! Blessings to you!

Journey Through the Land of NaNo

Hi Everyone! It is time once again to share my NaNoWriMo progress. Last week was actually quite productive (just don’t ask about the status of my house…) I’m pleased to announce that I am past the two-thirds mark and even ahead of schedule. Morgan (my MC) and I are having quite a journey together. I find myself amazed at the situations she has gotten herself into – despite my best of intentions. I’m really having a lot of fun doing this and am thrilled to be doing so well – my word count is now at 33,383, with twelve days left to finish.

However, I do miss reading and commenting on all the other amazing blogs I regularly check out. I will be back soon – I promise!

Some Much Needed Comic Relief

Needing a break from my own writing (I am now thoroughly consumed with my NaNoWriMo novel), and a good chuckle too, I decided to pull this one out. It always makes me laugh. I hope you enjoy it too! I did not write this, I just like to share it. Oh, and by the way, I’m now at nearly 28,000 NaNo words!

~~~

Excerpts From A Cat’s Diary

DAY 752 ~ My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.

DAY 761 ~ Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair...must try this on their bed.

DAY 762 ~ Slept all day so that I could annoy my captors with sleep depriving, incessant pleas for food at ungodly hours of the night.

DAY 765 ~ Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little kitty I was...Hmmm. Not working according to plan......

DAY 768 ~ I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time however it included a burning foamy chemical called "shampoo." What sick minds could invent such a liquid? My only consolation is the piece of thumb still stuck between my teeth.

DAY 771 ~ There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call "beer." More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.

DAY 774 ~ I am convinced the other captives of this household are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The Bird on the other hand has got to be an informant. He has mastered their frightful tongue (something akin to mole speak) and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time.

~ Author Unknown

NaNoWriMo Update

Hi Everyone! After a rather rocky beginning, I’m to a point that I’m doing fairly well in the NaNoWriMo competition. It has been a lot of fun and a huge challenge too! Never having attempted writing something at this magnitude, I find myself discovering questions I never had to ask before. Like why won’t my MC behave, nor do what I want her too? Or, where on earth did that plot twist come from. Or which yet to be discovered character does this mysterious name that keeps stalking me, belong to? And where is the chocolate when I need it? Questions. Lots of questions. And there’ve been plenty of answers too (except the one about chocolate), but I can’t divulge those just yet. *Wink* It has been quite an adventure. That I’m sure of. At this moment, I am just beyond where I need to be on average. And I surpassed the “third of the way through” mark 2222 words ago, so I’m well on my way to the half-way point. Yeah!

One of the drawbacks to this though, is that I’ve had to drop some other “extra-curricular” activities. With a 13-month old running around, my time for doing these things is limited. Two of the things which I’ve had to give up (for now) is doing much writing for my blog, and reading, and commenting on, other blogs. So if you have a blog that I generally frequent and comment on, please forgive me for my absence. I still love you and your writing, and quite honestly I do miss it. Rest assured that I will return in December. Thank you so much, to all of you who have offered me support and encouragement along this journey. Blessings to you!

NaNoWriMo and Heartbreak Update

For those of you who are interested in my NaNoWriMo progress, I have an update for you. I “re-discovered” NaNoWriMo and signed up on October 29th. It began on November 1st, so that didn’t leave me a lot of time to create, much less outline a plot. I did what I could do though. First, I thought up the title, then I created my book cover, and finally a brief synopsis. I had all of this accomplished by October 31st. I still have no outline, but I’m sort of winging it and filling that in as I go.

The basic plan was to do some writing on the weekend, but not a ton, because for me that is family time. But I knew Jeff goes to bed early, so I could do some fast writing between when he goes to bed and when I do. Ahh, best laid plans… They sound so good theoretically, but in reality, they don’t always work out the way intended.

Saturday night I got some writing done – about 700 words. It took awhile to get going and really find my storyline. That was ok for me though, because you only have to average 1667 words per day to make it to the goal of 50,000 in 30 days. I knew I could make up the deficit easily enough.

Then Sunday came. Many of you probably already know that while we were all getting ready for church, I discovered my beloved cat Prissy had died during the night. I was, and still am, devastated by this awful discovery. Sunday wasn’t a day for writing, or for church going either, but a day for crying and talking and remembering. I felt a sorrow that was overwhelming.

Since I’ve always had pets, I’ve also always had losses. And it hurts. I’ve never taken the death of a pet well. They have always been like children to me. It was just three months ago that we lost our beloved Ashley (our dog) and I still wasn’t completely healed from that. But there was a big difference between the two losses.

Ashley was really old, and had been in failing health for two years. We made sure she wasn’t suffering, but kept her with us and comfortable for as long as possible. We always made sure to love on her and we had time to prepare. The hurt was enormous, but we got to say goodbye in a better way. We knew the day was coming and expected it. We spent her last hours with her, and took her to the vet when it was time and stayed with her until she was gone. We loved on her, petted her, hugged her and she wasn’t alone when she died.

For Prissy it was different. I was preparing to take her to the vet for a senior screen – just to see how she was doing as she started aging. She appeared to be doing well. I was concerned about her weight, but not overly. I had no idea I would lose her so soon. Now I live with regret. Our last moments together were not spent in love. I was working on the computer, trying to get my story going. Prissy came up to my chair, like she would do periodically, and began meowing – loudly, because she wanted some attention. She wanted to be petted and loved on. But I was trying to focus on my story, so my response was not to simply drop my one hand and pet her as I worked. No, unfortunately, my response was a harsh, “Prissy stop! Go away!” And she did. I went to bed soon after and didn’t see her again until I found her, dead, in the morning.

Oh, how I wish I could take that back. I loved her so much, but in the final moments of her life I didn’t give her the loving she wanted. Now, I believe she knew that I loved her regardless, but it’s not the same. I wish I could have said goodbye to her in a much better way. I wish she hadn’t been alone when she died. I think she just died in her sleep, but still I wish I could have known. No, it wouldn’t have changed the final result, but it would have definitely changed my tone and attitude with her. She was never a bother, but that was the way I treated her the last time I saw her alive. And I’m so, so sorry for that.

Needless to say, the loss of my Prissy really took the wind out of my sails for writing for NaNoWriMo. With much effort, I began again yesterday. It was hard to focus because I miss her so much. And it certainly doesn’t help that she died in the office, laying just to the right of where I sit at the desk and type. I’m trying to get it together though, because I realize life does go on. I still cry, my heart still hurts and the grief is still very real, however, I do believe I will see her again in heaven.

In the meantime, my MC (main character) now has a cat. It’s just one way I can honor my Prissy as I work through this time of grief. I’ll be giving you more NaNoWriMo updates periodically. Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest in my progress, and to everyone who has offered kind words of comfort for my loss. Blessings!

NaNoWriMo Info:
~ Title: A Little Rain Must Fall
~ Book Cover: See Right Sidebar toward the top.
~ Word Count: 4202
~ Synopsis: Morgan Reynolds feels all alone in the world. Young, pregnant and unmarried, she finds herself in an impossible situation. With little hope for the future of the baby she’s carrying, there’s only one solution she can think of. When one mistake leads to an even bigger mistake she wonders, will she ever find the love she wants and the redemption she needs?

I'm Committed! Or... Maybe I Should Be?

I did it! I committed to participating in NaNoWriMo 2008! What is that, you ask? It is the National Novel Writing Month. Some of you know that writing, and reading, fiction is a passion of mine. And I have always dreamed of writing novels. So with that in mind, I have chosen to commit to writing a novel. GULP! In 30 days. DOUBLE GULP!! Yep, I’m committed, or maybe I should be. I guess that remains to be seen.



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National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2007, we had over 100,000 participants. More than 15,000 of them crossed the 50k finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

So, to recap:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.

Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

Still confused? Just visit the How NaNoWriMo Works page!

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Needless to say, I will not be blogging, or reading, as much in November. Oh, I’ll still check in a bit, and I’ll definitely post the Monday “Love Letter from Your King”, but I won’t be doing a blog post every day. Am I excited? Yes. Am I scared? Heck yeah! But the point is, I’m doing it! Now, I’m being realistic here. I don’t believe this will be the next Great American Novel, but I’m sure the experience will be invaluable. Be sure to stop by and check out how I'm doing. I'll be adding a word-count widget soon. Thank you for your support and if you think of me, maybe send up a prayer, or two, or ten? :)

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” ~ Prov. 16:3

“And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by.” Hab. 2:2