Mary Ihla

Which do you want first, the good or the bad of the week?

Tuning in '50s music on Pandora (thanks, Kari!) so I can get in the grove to continue writing my novel, which is set in 1958.

Making Ramien Cabbage Salad and sampling my friend's pickled green tomatoes. Yum! Soon heading to my niece's to make lefsa. Repeat yum!

Forgot to wish my niece Steffi a happy birthday yesterday. Hope you had a great one and aren't paying the consequences today.

Well, I met my 3000-word NaNoWriMo goal yesterday, but sadly am still way behind. That's because somehow everything I'd written the rest of the week had disappeared. The files were there, but they were empty, as were the backups. Oh well, starting over is fun.

Tomorrow I will do nothing but sit in front of my computer and write, write, write. That means no email, no texting, no phones, and most of all, no Facebook. See you all on Sunday when my NaNoWriMo word count is over 12,000.

Everything has rules! http://www.shotgunrules.com/.

Everything has rules! http://www.shotgunrules.com/

I'm still struggling with backstory and how to include what's necessary to my plot. http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009... #nanowrimo.

I'm still struggling with backstory and how to include what's necessary to my plot. http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009... #nanowrimo.

I'm still struggling with backstory and how to include what's necessary to my plot. http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009... #nanowrimo

I'm still struggling with backstory and how to include what's necessary to my plot. http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009... #nanowrimo

Struggling with backstory in your novel? http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/downloa... #nanowrimo.

Struggling with backstory in your novel? http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/downloa... #nanowrimo

Struggling with backstory in your novel? http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/downloa... #nanowrimo

Struggling with backstory in your novel? http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/downloa... #nanowrimo.

Struggling with backstory in your novel? http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/downloa... #nanowrimo

BACKSTORY: Relevant Information or an Inconsequential Event? By Brenda Hill - http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/downloa...

Struggling with backstory in your novel? http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/downloa... #nanowrimo.

Instead of going grocery shopping, I watched a movie about a high school baseball team in Norway, Iowa. Amazing and true story. Love that kind of film.

Work getting in the way of my writing. Do I give up sleep?

How Sleep Deprivation Fries Your Brain - Forbes.com - http://www.forbes.com/2009...

What's in a Name? How To Choose Character Names for Fiction - http://wow-womenonwriting.com/25-How2...

Lost another 4.4 lbs. last week despite the temptation of Halloween candy, which I resisted. 24 lbs. lost in 7 weeks -- not bad, I think.

Mary Karr, Author of The Liars' Club, Talks About Her Writing Process - WSJ.com - http://online.wsj.com/article...

Wrote 1535 words in the first day of National Novel Writing Month.

Get ready...

...get set...

...WRITE!!!

Spending the night at my stepson's place so he can be with his wife and new baby at the hospital. Can't wait to see her.