This post is a salute to the writers participating in
National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. I’m not, alas, one of them. (For
me, a good week’s output is is 6,000 words on the work in progress. I know, I
know, for some of you, that represents a day’s effort. )
One of my favorite bloggers on writing is British author
Matt Haig. In a recent post, he shares what he’s learned over twelve years as a published author. Number 11 speaks to me: “We like stories because time moves us forward, when what
we want to do is move sideways. We want to live every possible life, not just
ours. Stories are how we can window shop other possible lives without
committing to them. They teach us everything.”
As you gulp coffee to fuel your NaNo-inspired writing frenzy, think about
the post you’ll write when you’ve
been published for twelve years.
Haig’s number 19, though, worries me: “Being published makes you
paranoid. Bookshops stop being bookshops and start being ‘Writers Doing Better
Than Me Shops’.” Oh, no-o-o-o! Let’s not lose our
love of bookstores. To ensure we don’t, here’s a GIF-happy list of reasons we love bookstores. (NaNo writers will be able to visit a bookstore on
December 1. On that happy day, you will order a latte, sink into a comfortable
chair, and congratulate yourself on jumpstarting a novel and maybe a career.)
Before the month’s over, NaNoers will curse the work in
progress many times. That’s normal, so push past self-doubt. Next month, before you settle in to
revise, read agent Joelle Delbourgo’s post on common reasons editors turn downfiction manuscripts. Your December task is to make sure your revised novel doesn’t give editors a
reason to say no.
Sadly, the laundry doesn’t do itself during NaNo, the day
job’s demands continue, and someone
has to vacuum. To add insult to injury, kids expect dinner to appear on the
table sometime between five and nine p.m. Every night.
Here’s an easy and quick recipe to the rescue. A friend gave it to me the year our kids were
peddling jars of salsa as a Future Farmers of America fundraiser. (Turns out
Texans are picky about salsa, and most families already have several jars of
their favorite kinds in their pantries.) We FFA parents ended up buying a dozen or
so jars apiece and needed ways to use it up. I’ve since learned this recipe in
famous in some circles. Here goes:
Salsa Mac and Cheese with Beef
1 pound ground beef (or ground
turkey)
16 ounces salsa (Me, I like salsa
with a chipotle kick and medium heat. If you have picky eaters, try a mild
salsa. If you like it hot, go for the fieriest salsa you can find.)
2 cups water
7 ounces elbow macaroni
I-2 cups cheddar, grated. (It’s NaNo,
for pity’s sake. Buy a bag of already grated cheese. If you’re a Velveeta fan,
cube a quarter pound of it.)
Directions:
1.) Brown meat in large skillet.
Drain.
2.) Add salsa and water. Bring to
boil.
3.) Stir in macaroni.
4.) Reduce heat; cover. Simmer 8-10
minutes, or until macaroni is tender.
5.) Stir in cheese until melted.
Serves four to six
Happy writing and eating!
