"I knew how ugly things were getting about five days ago when I was still way short of 50,000 words and this poor man Wayne was struck with a computer virus which emptied the entire contents of his hard drive into my e-mail inbox," he says. The crowd groans appreciatively. "I had everything on Wayne," continues Baty. "I had Wayne's resume, I had some of Wayne's recipes. I had approximately 46 614K files waiting for me, all from Wayne. But I knew things were getting sick because when I looked at these files, I didn't think 'Oh Wayne, man, that's really embarrassing, because I'm probably not the only one who got these.' I thought 'Mmm ... words.'"

I look back on November with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I remain remarkably proud that I kicked out 50,000 words (closer to 60,000 when the dust settled) within the 30 days allotted. I had fun with the story, and hopefully somebody had fun reading it. On the other hand, it was a hellacious time sink. I stopped being a hubby for a month. My Thanksgiving weekend was chewed up and spit out by it. Christmas cards didn't get written until far too late. Ditto gift purchases. Ditto pretty much everything else. It's all a big, typewritten blur, but I know Margie took up way more slack than she should have had to. I've done it. I don't need to do it again. Honest. I can quit any time I want. This November, for example, I've already committed to not writing a novel. I'll be a hubby. A father. A normal guy (as normal as I ever get). Don't press me about November 2003, though.

Woo-hoo! These weren't due until the end of next week, but since Kara (of Sanity Denied) and I exchanged questions (and answers) so soon, I might as well post these. Besides, Blogger Insider took a break last fortnight.

Here are Kara's questions and my answers. Hit her site for the reverse.

1. I went back and read your archives. I was really enthralled by the way you seemed to post and update exactly how you felt at each moment durind the terror of 9/11. I think a lot of people's blogs from that day stand as an incredible monument to their feelings and the powerful emotions of that day. Do you ever reread that section of your archives, and if you do, what are your feelings?

I've been intentionally not going back and rereading things until I get to some major anniversaries. The 24th of this month, for example, is six months since I began blogging, and I'll probably do something then. And when we get around to 11 March, I'll probably go back and reread them.

Well, that's not 100% true. I had cause to go back and take a quick look, and it was interesting watching my emotions bob up and down that day, and the few days following -- lots of anger, but also lots of trying to intellectualize the whole thing.

All I know is that I'm glad I have the blog, because, frankly, I don't remember much of those couple of days.

2. How is your New Year's resolution coming along?

Heh. Well, my pants have been feeling a little loose. I'll know tomorrow, because a few days after New Years I was in at the doctors and was Officially Weighted at 248 ... and I'm going in tomorrow and we'll see what they say.

I was just noticing that, in trying to keep Katherine from ruining her appetite for dinner, and so not giving in to her desire for snacks, I'm also perforce not snacking, which is probably a Good Thing. Scratch that -- I know it's a Good Thing.

3. What is the most unexpected or suprising experience you have had as a
parent?

As a global thing, just the incredible time sink it's been. I look back on those feckless days of, "Sigh, here we are in the afternoon on a weekend with just nothing to do. Let's hop in the car and drive someplace," and marvel.

As a specific thing, it was probably the first time Katherine climbed out of her crib (during an afternoon nap), toddled downstairs, past where I was sitting at the breakfast table (within eyeshot, if I'd turned my head), went out to the living room, got a knick-knack, and walked back to me and ... I finally spotted her. "Gah!" (That was me, not Katherine.)

4. What was your first meeting with Margie like? There has to be a good
story behind all that love!

Actually, Margie and I met in college, introduced by a friend of ours who was running a D&D game and invited us both to it. We were friends then, good friends, and stayed in touch through the various intervening years (and a marriage on my part, where Margie was one of the bridesmaids, as she was also a friend with my now-ex).

So I don't remember much of that first meeting. Certainly it was not memorable in terms of anything interesting happening, but it was memorable in that we met playing That Evil Demonic Game (which, in fact, is where I've met probably 90% of my friends).

Now, asking her out for our first date ... there's an interesting story. But that's not what you asked. :-)

5.Tell me more about NaNoWriMo, and how you conquered it.

National Novel Writing Month, a/k/a "Take November, Wad It Up Into A Little Ball, And Throw Any Non-Writing Activities You Had Planned Then Into The Trash." I conquered it by (a) being someone who writes a lot as part of his job, (b) deciding I would do something fun, not profound, (c) deciding I would not go back and revise lest I never get past the first chapter, and (d) having a wonderful wife who let me sequester myself upstairs for a couple of all-day catch-up fests. Having a friend who was also doing it helped, too, since that made it a bit of a competition.

6. Name your top five places to visit on the web (not weblogs).

In terms of frequency of visits? Amazon, Google ... er, SpamCop ... um, RefDesk, ... damn, I really don't go that many other places these days, besides blogs. The Rocky Mountain News, the Christian Science Monitor, Yahoo News, and the Wall Street Journal as news fodder for my blog.

7. Do people "in real life" know about your weblog, for instance, people
from work or extended family members? Have they ever reacted negatively to
anything you've blogged about? If so, how did you deal with it?

My folks know about it, and read it -- my mom does, at least. I've mentioned it to my in-laws, but they're not much into Web stuff. Most of my local friends know about it. I don't know that anyone at work knows -- but I assume that they can find it, so I'm always very discreet about work-related stuff (especially anything involving managing or HR or stuff like that).

So far I've not had any negative reactions from anyone from those arenas -- but I endeavor at all time to be inoffensive, so ...

8. Do you consider yourself an "artist" or a "scientist"?

Tough one. I'd probably say artist, if pressed -- but I try to apply logic and reason to the things I do, esp. at work, as well as creativity.

9. Favorite book?

Urg. I hate this question, if only because I read voraciously, and I only tend to read what I enjoy (reading is entertainment for me, not education). So I'm drawing a blank here. I can tell you what I'm presently reading, which is Which Lie Did I Tell? by William Goldman, one of his books detailing his career as a screenwriter. Vastly entertaining and an interesting introduction to the screenwriting trade.

10. The answer is... 16. What is the question?

"When did you learn to drive?" "What's four squared?" "What base is hexidecimal?" "How many comic books are in the bag you just picked up from the comic book store?" And we'll leave it at that.

NaNoWriMo is over. And so's my novel, clocking in at just over 59K words.

Wow. And whew. And -- that's why I haven't been blogging much over the past 24 hours, and just woke up at Noon.

I'd repeat the dedication, but that's what the Internet is for. You can read it here. I will quote some of the very nice congratulatory letter that the NaNoWriMo folks sent me when I filed my final word count.

Writing 50,000 words of fiction in a month is a task that most professional writers would run from screaming. You have eaten the challenge for breakfast, and cleaned your teeth with its footnotes. You are brave, talented, and brimming with the kind of loquacious storytelling aptitude that no doubt will serve you well in your new part-time job as up-and-coming novelist.
I am proud of you. Where four-fifths of all Wrimos turned back before reaching the goal, you pressed on. Through distractions and demands and obligations, you forged ahead. Your willingness to go out on a creative limb, to stand up and reach for an impossible goal, is an inspiring example to all of us.
You have done an amazing thing this month, novelist. And your accomplishment extends far beyond winning a novel-writing contest. By stepping out into the void, by risking failure, you have opened wide those channels of fantasy and wonder that adulthood has such a tendency to wizen. If you can write a novel in a month, who knows what you could do with a screenplay. Or a libretto. Or a canvas.
You never know until you try.

What indeed?

Now to take a shower. (I've managed to do so over the last month, thanks, but I haven't yet this morning.) More to blog (on topics of greater interest) later ...

Many, many, many, deep and heart-felt thanks to Margie.

Thanks to her, I am caught up (and marginally beyond), at 41,758 words thus far.

Once upon a time, I did a lot of writing. Part of it was being single. And part of it, during my previous version of not-single days, was at a time when my staying up really late was rather therapeutic for me, in a variety of ways we need not dwell upon at the moment.

These days, with a full complement of household duties, plus an 18-month-old, plus a wife whose company I value greatly, putting aside the time to write some thousands of words on a given day is not easy, not in the least.

Margie helped make it possible today. I love her more than I can say. Though, hopefully, I've just given her a clue.

Margie has agree to look after Katherine today, so I'm going to disconnect the notebook from the Net, and head upstairs to the guest room, and write, dammit, until I've at least caught up with my NaNoWriMo targets, my head explodes, or I'm satisfied with how it's going.

So expect sparse blogginess today.

Today is the middle of November, which means the middle of NaNoWriMo. My own effort is at close to 25,000, which means it is also close to half the required length.

As to the quality -- well, two people whose judgment I trust (but who are not unbiased sources) have told me they're enjoying it. I've got the oddest sensation that I'm one of those entertainers embarrassing himself on public access TV, but that's just me. The link is up at the top of the page.

But, ultimately, whether it's the most entertaining thing since The Princess Bride or the worst thing since ... well, since Doomstar, none of that makes any difference. The fact will be that I actually had the discipline to, nearly every night, sit down and be creative. (This blog doesn't count, for a variety of reasons.) Hell, it's impressive enough (to me) that I've managed to stay along the curve for the last 15 days.

Now for the next 15 days ...

I blog.

I am doing NaNoWriMo, which means I'm doing even more writing.

And I belong to WiD (Writing in the Dark), a blog support group for some NaNoWriMo writers.

Pylduck notes how really (admirably) weird this is.

Today's tally ... 1,860 words. A bit better than the 1,667 words a day I need to be doing. You can read what I have so far at the "Learn more ... about my NaNoWriMo" link at the upper right.

I was going to write a long post about NaNoWriMo Angst. But Doyce beat me to it.

But, like him, I'm also excited. I mean -- damn, what a challenge. A palpable, creative challenge. Wow. Juices flowing. Freezing in my veins on occasion, but flowing most of the times.

Wow. Giddy as a schoolgirl ... who has a 50,000 word essay due November 30th for the teacher she's got a crush on.

Those who want to follow along (and I'm at least as daunted by the thoughts that folks will be reading it as that I have to write it) can go to the "My NaNoWriMo" link to the upper right of this blog. Those who don't -- just keep coming back here. I'll keep writing, though probably only a couple of times a day.

Yeep!

(By the way ... I broke 1000 visits today, as of 5:30ish p.m. Yee-haw!)

No, not Anthrax or Terrorism or Bombing or whatever.

I'm talking about National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, which starts Thursday, 1 November. Gah!

I know what I'm writing about. Sort of. I have a plot in mind. Vaguely. And, typically, I have a final scene in my head, which I'll desperately try to get to.

Now if I can just get the creative juices flowing. And the discipline. Oh, yeah, the discipline.

Which conjures up some disturbing images of Margie in leather with a whip and ...

... er, I'd better end up this post right here.