Novel Writing and Podcasting In 30 Days Nov 6

National Novel Writing and Podcast Posting Month 2022

Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where I help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education. How I accomplish this is by providing you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo again this year as I did last year and you can hear those episodes here. You will be able to listen and read along with what I wrote for the day. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. It is my hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at timothy@createartpodcast.com

History of NaNoWriMo and NaPodPoMo

NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand new novel. They enter the month as elementary school teachers, mechanics, or stay-at-home parents. They leave novelists.

NaPodPoMo: NaPodPoMo* is a month-long event similar to National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo. The difference? Well, instead of writing a 50,000-word novel, you post a podcast episode every day for 30 days from November 1st-30th. Use any platform you desire. From full production studio to iPhone app and just about anything in between. The goal is to use the challenge of podcasting daily as a form of podcasting boot camp.

The Writing So Far

6 Nov 2022 words today 1693 words total 8715

Mark and Tinley were still on the couch hours later. Tinley had calmed down and matched Marks breathing pattern.

“I think it’s time I look at my phone and see if we have any word yet,” said Mark.

“I don’t feel her anymore Mark, I think she’s dead, I can’t explain it,” replied Tinley who started to sob a bit.

Mark checked his phone, there were over 100 messages between the neighborhood app and friends. There was one that he dreaded seeing, the caller ID showed Alewell Police Department. He didn’t even check the voicemail; he dialed the number directly.

“Detective Courteny, Alewell PD is this Mark Bale,” Detective Courtney asked seeing the caller ID on his phone?

“Yes, you called,” replied Mark?

“Is your wife with you,” asked Detective Courtney?

“She is right here, we are a bit shaken right now, we haven’t been answering our phones or looking at the news. We were hoping to hear from Winona, but we haven’t heard anything since we heard about the school shooting,” said Mark timidly trying not to ask the obvious question.

“I can understand why you would do that, there is a lot of misinformation and folks that feed from that stuff and do unthinkable things. So, you haven’t talked to anyone else since talking with me right now,” asked Detective Courtney?

“No, I have a feeling you are going to ask us to come in aren’t you,” said Mark?

“I can send a car if you like, but yes I’d like you both to come in and bring your cell phones with you,” said Detective Courtney.

“No, no need for a car, I can drive us there, when do you need us there, and can my wife stay home and it can just be us to talk,” asked Mark?

“I’d rather have both of you in because we would like to check any messages you might have received in relation to this incident, can you come within the hour” asked Detective Courtney?

“Yeah, uhm we will both be there, do I just ask for you at the front desk,” asked Mark?

“I’ll be there to meet you both so no need to worry about talking with anyone else. What kind of car are you driving so I can let the front gate know to let you park in the covered area,” asked Detective Courtney?

“I have a blue Chevy HHR with a lot of bumper stickers on the back,” replied Mark.

“Got it see you within the hour, Mark, it’s going to be okay,” replied Detective Courtney.

Mark clicked off his phone and sat back down on the couch next to Tinley and held her. Her sobs didn’t gain in intensity, but they didn’t subside either. Silent tears started rolling down his face and both Mark and Tinley avoided looking at each other but held onto each other even tighter than before.

“We need to go to the police station and talk with Detective Courtney, we need to bring our cell phones, he thinks someone tried to get ahold of us before...,” Mark couldn’t complete the sentence.

“I understand, I heard you gave him the description of my car, so I take it we are using my car to drive there, do you want me to drive,” asked Tinley, finding the strength to help her husband cope with what she had been coping with since she lost the feeling of having Winona.

“No, I’ll drive, I am sorry I dismissed your feelings earlier. He didn’t say anything about her, but we should probably expect the worst. Do you want to take a few minutes, or should we just get this done,” asked Mark?

“Let's go and get this done, the sooner we talk with the detective the sooner they can get started on their work. My keys are on the hanger next to the front door, let me grab my purse,” Tinley got up and headed to the kitchen and grabbed two travel mugs and filled them with coffee, hers with cream and sugar, his black. She started giggling a little to herself remembering one of his favorite phrases.

“What's funny dear,” asked Mark.

“As black as my Soul. I am grabbing us coffee and remembering when you got your car and how you always tell people how you like your coffee, as black as your soul,” replied Tinley still giggling a little to herself.

Detective Courtney hung up the phone and reached in his desk drawer and pulled out a burner phone and dialed a number that would be gone after the call he was going to make.

“Send in the cat, the three blind mice heard the grandfather clock strike 1, no cheese back home,” said Detective Courtney. There was no voice on the other end, just the usual sound of a hung-up line once the detective finished his sentence. The detective made another call on his desk phone to the front desk of the police station. “Yeah, this is Detective Courtney, I got two coming in driving a blue Chevy HHR, lots of bumper stickers on the back, let them go ahead and park in the covered area, should be Mr. and Mrs. Bale. Much appreciated. They should be here within the hour and give me a call on my cell when they arrive, I will be down there, but I just want to make sure I know when they approach. Thanks,” he hung up the call and grabbed some cups and food from the breakroom. He made sure he had enough tissues and that the hidden camera and digital recorder in his office were functioning properly.

Cody was reviewing the file on the Bale’s when he got the notification from the team that they had been activated and would be in the home in just outside of an hour. It was confirmed that Mark worked at the same office and in the same department as Wolfgang. Mark was a Veteran who had served twelve years in the military, specifically the Air Force where he was listed as an aircraft maintainer, however, it wasn’t listed as which aircraft he maintained. The firm that Mark and Wolfgang worked with was a contracted consulting agency with the Federal Government, specifically the Department of Energy in their human resources division. Mark had been there for ten years and was being recruited for a full-time position with the agency. His department mainly dealt with increasing morale, resilience and diversity. Tinley had been a schoolteacher up until she gave birth to Winnona. She wasn’t active in the PTA but she was active in local issues such as the local library and gun control. Tinley was also a volunteer for the opposition candidate that the followers of Zeno had a large file on. There was little in the way of information for Winnona. She did not have a cell phone, was not on any social media apps and Mark and Tinley had made sure that no posts included a picture of Winnona. He noted that his team had already purged her file from the Swan Victor Elementary School, however, Winnona had only been at that school for two years since the family only moved in that area. The team reported that they were trying to find where she had been previously and would have an update soon.

Cody notified his script team that he wanted a quick meeting. He sanitized his office and logged into the virtual office where he waited. Adrian and Dillion appeared in the virtual office a few minutes later. Both men appeared focused and ready to take notes.

“So, I just sent you both the files on the Bale’s, I want a complete turnaround of their lives. I want to be able to easily discredit them starting with their ever having a child. Work in there something about infertility treatments, and hint at a possible affair with the opposition candidate, nothing firm, but give the hint of a possible affair. Since we won’t be able to do much about Mark’s military service, maybe something about mental health because we all know how easy it is to make Veterans appear to be unbalanced with little to no proof. I think you can tie in Tinley’s volunteer work with some antigovernment groups and make that the reason why Mark hasn’t been promoted to working for the Department of Energy yet, make some noise about his background check that he failed it. We have already wiped the records of Winnona at the school, and she has only been there for two years so she hasn’t had the time to make many friends I am sure and if anyone does come out saying they were friends then we will handle that as it comes. She went to school somewhere else for K through1 and once we find that information, we will wipe it if we can. Gentlemen, this is priority, I need to see this script in three hours so we can get it out on the airwaves and control the narrative. Do you have any questions,” asked Cody?

“Can we add some police records about marital abuse or reports of such from the neighbors,” asked Adrian?

“Maybe add some rumors of Mark about to get fired from his job due to poor performance,” added Dillon?

“I’d like to keep the police out of it simply because we don’t have many contacts there that can support those claims. I also don’t think Wolfgang has enough access or clout to help with what you are suggesting Dillion, Wolfgang is a fairly new recruit and isn’t as embedded as that would need to be. Let's just stick with what I have given you. The big thing is discredit them even having a child and push the marital upheaval. I am sure once they hear from our contact about their child’s death, we will have enough information downloaded after we get ahold of their phones to fill in any necessary holes you see in the story. Anything else,” asked Cody?

“We are on it right now sir, you will have the script in three hours,” said Adrian.

Reaching Out

To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.