National Novel Writing and Podcast Posting Month 2021
Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where I help you tame your inner critic and create more than we 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 to 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 along the same vein as National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo. The difference? Well, instead of writing a 50,000-word novel, you podcast 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
12 Nov 2021 daily count 1712 cumulative count 17840
“I don’t know if I sleepwalk or sleep talk and as far as that guy’s name, I have no idea who he is,” replied Myra.
“Okay I know that was scary, it was scary for me as well. I am just happy that you seem to be okay now. Do you want to grab something to drink or a treat,” asked Carl?
“I think that would be great,” replied Myra. Carl pulled out his phone and texted Nate and Vince asking them to research John Esten Cooke. They left the car and walked into the gas station and looked over the selection of beverages in the cooler.
“Grab whatever you want, I’m going to get a coffee and a candy bar,” said Carl.
The sun was setting, and the streetlights started coming on and filling the darkness outside. Myra grabbed a chocolate milk and a large candy bar while Carl went over to the coffee section and poured himself a large hazelnut flavored coffee. Once his cup was filled, he poured some creamer and sugar in. Myra looked at him quizzically.
“Whenever I go to gas stations and get their coffee, I have to dress it up because it is usually pretty bad. Don’t drink coffee it will stunt your growth,” said Carl jokingly. They both laughed at this, and Carl grabbed a candy bar for himself, and they went to the cashier to check out. There was no one else in line and very few people in the store. Myra placed her soda and candy bar on the counter and smiled at the cashier.
“You must have been really good today to get a treat like this,” said the cashier as she scanned the items and put them into a bag.
“I had a great day at my uncles house,” replied Myra. Carl raised an eyebrow as he faced Myra.
“Well, we have some free stickers if you would like one, if that’s okay with your dad,” replied the cashier.
“Go ahead and take one Myra,” replied Carl.
“Myra, what a beautiful name, is she your only child,” asked the cashier?
“Uhm yes, only child. We had a long day of playing out in the woods and making crafts,” said Carl a little uneasy being called a dad for the first time. Myra took the sticker that the cashier held out.
“Thank you very much,” replied Myra.
“Oh, and very polite and great manners. You know I had a grandmother named Myra. She was my favorite relative. Now don’t ruin your dinner with that candy bar,” said the smiling cashier. “Your total is seven eighty-five,” she said to Carl. He pulled out his wallet and paid with a credit card. “Coffee at this time of the evening, you’ll be up all night. I can’t drink coffee after 10 AM otherwise I get too jittery.”
“I need it to keep up with her energy. Thank you very much and have a great night,” said Carl as he took the receipt and grabbed the bag with the candy bars and soda.
“Have a good night, take good care of your dad okay Myra,” said the cashier as Myra and Carl left the store. Carl thought about the last thing that the cashier said, it seemed odd, and he didn’t think he looked tired. But then he realized he might have looked like an older father. They both got into the car and Carl handed Myra her drink and candy bar after she secured the seatbelt. Carl pulled out of the parking lot and pulled into traffic as he took a sip of coffee and audibly sighed.
“So, what do you want for dinner tonight, I didn’t look at what you and Cheryl got from the store,” asked Carl.
“We got some chicken and rice and veggies. Can you make something with that,” said Myra?
“I am a whiz in the kitchen. I’ll have you help me out if you are feeling up to it,” said Carl. “Uhm something I wanted to ask you, you called Nate your uncle at the gas station, and you didn’t correct the cashier about me being your dad. Are you wanting to call me dad and Nate uncle and Cheryl mom,” asked Carl?
“Was that wrong, I’m sorry. I just didn’t know what to say so that slipped out of my mouth,” sheepishly replied Myra.
“No, no that is fine. I just want you to feel comfortable when referring to any of us. I’d be very happy to be your father and Cheryl would say the same thing, I am sure. Nate, he has been waiting my whole life to have a child so he could be called Uncle Nate by someone and Carmine, well she’d just burst into tears of joy. My ex-wife and I couldn’t have children, so Nate and Carmine have always looked after me and since I am the youngest brother, they feel it’s their job. I’m more concerned with how you are feeling, and your comfort level,” replied Carl.
“Why couldn’t you have children,” asked Myra?
“Well, it just wasn’t in the cards for us. I couldn’t get her pregnant and well yeah,” replied Carl nervously.
“Are you sure she wanted children, maybe she didn’t want kids,” replied Myra.
Carl took a moment to respond. That thought had crossed his mind when they were initially trying to get pregnant. His ex-wife always wanted kids. When he got the diagnosis the idea of kids faded away since even in the early stages, they both knew he would not live long enough to raise children. Even if they were able to have kids, they also knew he would be bedridden towards the end of his life and he expressed to his ex-wife that he didn’t want their children to remember him as an invalid.
Gritting through his teeth he said,” no it was me that didn’t want kids at that time. I wasn’t ready to have children.”
“But you do want kids now, right,” asked Myra?
“Well, I definitely want you for a kid, I don’t think I have the strength for more than one. Having more than one is a conversation that Cheryl and I will have to have, and we will include you in that conversation when and if there comes the time,” replied Carl.
“I’ve always been an only child, I like it. Don’t get me wrong, I loved going over to Uncle Nate’s house today and being with Seth and Rachel, but I’ve always been on my own and I like it that way,” said Myra.
“Okay we have one vote for no more kids, I am undecided yet and it looks like Cheryl may be the deciding vote. Oh, look we made it home in one piece,” Carl joked. His phone buzzed due to an incoming message, but he ignored it for now as he parked his car in front of his apartment. They both climbed out of the car and headed up the stairs to Carl’s apartment. Once they entered the apartment Carl went straight to the kitchen and looked at the time. It was almost six o’clock and he pulled out the chicken and rice and a few pots and pans and started cooking. He knew the coffee shop closed at six and Cheryl would probably be here in about an hour, so he turned on the stove and Myra began putting water into a pot to boil the rice.
“I’ll turn on the music, anything you want to hear,” asked Carl as he headed to the TV?
“I really like that jazz music you played before, it’s nice and relaxing,” replied Myra. Carl turned on the TV and selected the jazz music channel and headed back to the kitchen. He thought to himself, if any Grover Brecht comes on, I am going to throw the TV off the patio. Luckily that was not the first song that came through once the TV came on. Once Myra had the water boiling for the rice, she dumped it in and turned the heat down a little so that the pot wouldn’t boil over and placed the lid on the pot. She then went to the sink and pulled out a glass and poured herself a glass of water and sat down at the dining table. Carl got the chicken into the pan and started sautéing the thighs with a little bit of seasoned flour on them and saw that Myra had chopped up the veggies for him when he was ready. He hadn’t finished his coffee during the drive and had it nearby and took a few sips of the tepid sweet liquid. He made a mental note of the gas station and initially thought that he should text that information to Nate and Vince, but though best not to do that because they were already investigating so much. He didn’t want to bother them or make them think he was going insane.
Myra was sitting at the table enjoying the music and looking at her new sticker and her book. She carefully took out the recipe that Nate had given her and took note of the ingredients and thought about when she could make the cookies for Carl and Cheryl.
While Carl was cooking, he looked at the messages that came through earlier. The first one was from Nate thanking him for the information. He saw Vince’s right after with another thank you. There was a second message from Vince that had an attachment and the message said, ‘read this tonight, away from the child’. Carl felt a little sickened at this point. The smell of the chicken cooking turned his stomach and anxiety started to well within him. He didn’t like messages like that, he wanted to read it immediately but knew that if Vince instructed him not to then he would follow the direction. He forwarded it to Cheryl so she could read it on her way home. Carl turned down the heat on the chicken and went to his bathroom to grab some antacids. Myra didn’t even look up to notice he had left. Once he got to the bathroom he was feeling better, but still took the antacids in case the feeling came back.
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 lets start that conversation.
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