I have failed at NaNoWriMo 2005, but I did write a flash fiction story today that I really like.

My last night of class was fun. I am a little sad there are no more classes, but I am going to try to write a flash story every once in a while so I don't get "rusty." I think it will be good for me - they're so short, editing isn't scary in and of itself, so I think it's good for practicing style and format and plotting.

Maybe I'll start sending them out in the spring. Who knows?

I feel like a great weight has been lifted off me now that my class is over and the NaNoWriMo deadline is only a few hours away. It's a relief. Freedom!

I think I'm going to go read now.

I topped the 20k mark but have been petering out on the overall word count gains this weekend. I came to a point where I realized that while it was possible for me to finish it was not worth the loss of family time due to holing myself up with a computer. However, I am really happy with the stuff coming out of me on this NaNo and I do intend to finish it. Just not by November 30th.

Today I am going to be working on another flash fiction. Hopefully this one won't be sappy like the other two. My prompt is to use a set of words: orange, jump, wet, and briefcase. (At the end of class he had each of us say a random word off the top of our heads.) My previous prompt was "On her birthday he gave her twenty-five Hershey kisses, one for each year of her life," and before that it was Romeo and Juliet.

I don't think I will ever take a writing class and do NaNo at the same time again. I don't feel like I put adequate time into the class, and since I'm not a full-time student anymore it's really only what I make of it (ie, not just some hoops to jump through - it's all for me).

The same teacher is offering a class on manuscript preparation and marketing for publication in January or February. I don't think I'll take it, though; I've got the basics of those skills, I just need to actually implement them. Much the same could be said about the class I'm taking now, however, because I know how to write and I know how a good story should be structured - I just need to do it more. Practice.

I've been working on my flash fiction class homework, picking at it here and there between times. Last week the prompt was Romeo and Juliet, so I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted to do and reading scenes from the play before whipping out my story. This time I have a different prompt, a sentence, and I've started three different attempts at a story. The problem with these shorties is that since it's always less than 500 words, it feels like nothing to throw them away. So I keep writing as I come up with different ideas and discard the last, and I have three incomplete stories now, all written in the last 24 hours. Class is tomorrow. I need to pick one and just complete it and edit the snot out of it. But I keep getting snagged.

I'm bad at plotting. I just write until I do something wrong, and then it feels really wrong, and I need to add something to the beginning and cut something else, only what I don't know, etc. And then it leads me to a tangent and mostly unrelated idea, which doesn't fix the problem but only creates its own new ones.

Why can't I finish anything? Why do I spend so much time on the preparation for a 500 word story?

My brain is rather dead, but I most definitely need to pick one of my ideas and work on it tonight.

I suck at NaNo this year. I find the prep and mindset for this class to be in total opposition to NaNo philosophy. They do not mix well. Of course, nothing seems to be mixing well lately. I'm up in the air. I think I might be remaking myself again. Most of it is not too bad. I'd like to include a little follow-through, though. And no car accidents.

I'm rambling. So badly. This is horrible for my writing plans tonight. I am going to type the last one up and stare at it for a while.

Words today: 323
Words total: 4,425/50,000
Reason for Stopping: Tired.
Mood: Sleepy.
Notes: Didn't want to start, just wanted to go to bed, so I consider this at least something. Small, but something.
Future Plot Points/Concerns/Questions: Where are we going?


I haven't done my homework for tomorrow yet, either. I have picked at it and thought about it and reread some scenes from Romeo and Juliet (my flash fiction prompt) but, man, did I ever mention I really don't like that play? I can't figure out what I want to do with it.

Nano:
I should have written some words at lunch break today, but I didn't. And then some other things happened that totally knocked the words out of me (job offer of doom), so no words tonight. I am not going to stress over that. Not now. (I did a tarot reading on myself Monday night before NaNo, and it said I had good goals and a renewed creativity, but wouldn't finish. I wonder if this is a sign of things to come?)

Flash Fiction:
Despite the insecurities I always approach these things with, I am the youngest and possibly the overachiever again, but on that second part it is hard to tell because everyone was bashful. I am one of four people in the class, and one of two Julies. My teacher is originally from the USSR and speaks with a Russian accent, but he's been in America since before I was born.

I have never been in such a tiny workshop environment. I am excited for it, but I worry that the class group won't get over their reservations before the four sessions are up. There's no hiding in the back of the room here. No one seems willing to take the lead. Maybe it will have to be me.

I took about two pages of notes, which I will type up later. Most of it is not earth shattering, but one of the neatest things we did was read a story that was repeatedly cut in half - I liked seeing what the writer took out at each pass.

Next month I have signed up to take a class in flash fiction. I am totally psyched, even if it does take away from NaNoWriMo time. I wanted to take a class like this and a class in creative nonfiction before I graduated college, but it never worked out. So, yay!

Mark Budman, the editor/publisher of the internationally renowned magazine of flash fiction, Vestal Review (http://www.vestalreview.net/), will teach Introduction to Flash Fiction. Flash is a fun genre of short-short stories. If you want to learn how to write fiction or even non-fiction, it is a great stepping-stone. No previous experience in writing flashes is necessary for this class, but love of literature is helpful. The course will cover the basics of flash writing, editing and publishing. Bring your own short story of 500 words or less to class, if you have one. If not, don’t worry. You will learn to write flashes before the class is over.

I am mildly nervous, but I can't wait to get into a writing class again. :D