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
30 Nov 2021 daily count 1797 cumulative count 44030
Carl sat in his hospital bed and heard Cheryl quietly talking with Myra. The smell he hated was almost overwhelming and it seemed like forever before the nurse came back to his room. His companion was the beeps from the machines monitoring his vitals. The smell and the feeling of death is why he hated hospitals and since he was alone with his thoughts every time a beep didn’t go off in the way he expected he almost jumped off the bed. When the nurse finally came in to disconnect him and give him the discharge paperwork he was more than ready to go.
“Okay, the doctor said that he wants you to follow up with your doctor in about a week. Do you need us to call your doctor’s office today to make that happen or will you be able to do that,” asked the nurse?
“I can do that, no worries. I am just ready to get out of here. No offense but I hate hospitals,” replied Carl.
“So do I, but it pays the bills. Okay, do you have someone to watch over you today just to make sure you are okay,” asked the nurse?
“Yes, my fiancé next door is going to be here with me and our adopted daughter. Also, my sister-in-law will be driving us home and will probably check in on us throughout the day,” replied Carl.
“That sounds good. That little girl is awesome. She was a pro the whole time she was here. It’s good to see a young couple like yourselves helping someone who needs it. How long have you all been together,” asked the nurse?
“Oh gosh, it feels like forever but in a good way,” lied Carl.
“Okay here are your discharge instructions. I’ll put them in your bag. I am going to disconnect all these wires from you so you can get dressed and we can wheel you to the front. You said your sister-in-law is picking you up right,” asked the nurse?
“Yes, she is grabbing the car right now,” said Carl.
“Good. Now I can take these wires out quickly or slowly since you are so hairy, which do you prefer,” asked the nurse?
“Just rip them off, the hair will grow back,” said Carl.
“Okay, my husband is the same way. Here we go,” said the nurse as she took off the pads from Carl’s chest and side. With each rip she apologized and within a few minutes she had all the wires disconnected. “Okay you are all disconnected. I hope it didn’t hurt too much. I’ll give you a few minutes to get dressed and I’ll be back. I am just next door with your daughter so if you need anything let me know, okay?”
“I should be fine; I don’t feel dizzy or anything like that. Will my doctor be able to see the notes from here by next week,” asked Carl?
“If he is local, he should be able to, if not you can grab a copy of your file,” said the nurse as she went next door to check on Myra.
Carl went head and got dressed in his regular clothes and out of the hospital down. Luckily the EMT’s didn’t cut off his clothes so he was able to leave with some dignity. When he was finished, he opened the curtain that blocked everyone’s view of his room. There were several people moving around the hallway and he checked in on Myra.
“Knock knock are you decent Myra,” asked Carl as he knocked on the curtain that was covering her room?
“We are good Carl, are you okay,” asked Cheryl?
Carl walked into Myra’s room and saw that she was dressed and sitting in a wheelchair. “I am fine and ready to get home, how are you feeling kiddo,” asked Carl?
“I am getting a ride in the wheelchair. I’ve never done that before,” replied Myra.
“Let’s hope we never have to do this again,” said Carl. The nurse who was attending him unlocked the wheelchair and started to push Myra out. Another nurse came up to where Carl’s room was with a wheelchair and looked in his room to find no one there.
“Where did Carl go,” asked the second nurse?
“Oh, that’s me, I don’t need a wheelchair,” replied Carl.
“Hospital rules, I have to roll you to the entrance, hop a squat,” said the nurse and pulled the wheelchair behind Carl.
“Can we race to the front,” asked Myra?
“Sorry sweetie, these aren’t built for racing, but we will definitely beat your dad to the front,” said the first nurse.
Carl sat down in the wheelchair that the second nurse pulled up and handed his discharge apers to Cheryl. The first nurse led the way followed by Cheryl and then by Carl in his wheelchair. When they got to the front entrance Carmine was waiting for them with the back doors open. Carl’s nurse pulled him up behind the passenger seat and Myra’s nurse pulled her up to behind the driver’s side. The nurses helped both Carl and Myra into Carmine’s car and pulled the wheelchairs back inside. Cheryl got into the passenger seat and Carmine got into the driver’s seat and pulled out and headed towards Carl’s apartment.
When they got to the apartment, Carmine pulled into Carl’s spot and parked the car. They all headed upstairs to the apartment and Carl and Myra sat on the couch. Cheryl and Carmine dropped off the paperwork in Carl’s office When they secured the discharge paperwork they came back to the kitchen. Cheryl started up the coffee pot and Carmine grabbed Myra a glass of chocolate milk and some crackers.
“Okay Carl, I am going to head back home. Are you comfortable<’ asked Carmine?
“I am fine, we will stop by later today and grab my car from your house. Thank you so much for caring for us,” said Carl.
“No rush in grabbing your car, in fact leave it with us for a day or two. It will be fine out there. I need to check in with Nate before I leave to see if I need to grab something on the way home, can I use your bedroom to call,” asked Carmine?
“Go right ahead. We cleaned it up before we came over today,” joked Carl.
Carmine went to Carl’s bedroom and closed the door while Cheryl poured Carl a cup of coffee and placed Myra’s mile and crackers on the coffee table. Cheryl sat down next to Carl on the couch and held him for a few moments. She turned on the TV and put on the music channel making sure to avoid the jazz and classical channels.
“Is anyone hungry for dinner or maybe just order a pizza and a movie,” asked Cheryl?
“I could go for a pizza and a comedy, how about you Myra,” asked Carl?
“Can we get a cheese pizza and watch the movie we saw the other night,” asked Myra?
“So, a cheese pizza for Myra and Cheryl what would you like on your pizza,” asked Carl?
“Oh, I like meat lovers’ pizza and I like that movie we watched the other night let’s do that. Should we get something for Carmine on her way back,” asked Cheryl?
“The place that is closest to us doesn’t have a vegan option and I don’t think she would want to wait around but when she comes out, I’ll ask her,” said Carl.
“Ask me what,” said Carmine as she walked out of the bedroom?
“Can I interest you in a pizza or a sandwich from the pizza place down the street? They are quick; we can probably have something here in about thirty minutes. We are going to grab one and watch a movie tonight,” said Carl.
“I am good, maybe next time. I am going to head home right now. Nate is doing things around the house that he shouldn’t be doing. He has a driver coming by to drop off your car, so I’ll need your keys,” said Carmine.
Carl reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys and handed them to Carmine. “If there are any scratches on it, I’ll let Nate know. Just kidding. Let Nate know I appreciate it,” joked Carl.
“Cheryl, do you need anything,” asked Carmine?
“No, I should be fine. I think I can take care of these two, now go take care of those three kids you have at your house. Give me a call when you get back to your house and we can talk tonight,” said Cheryl. When Carmine left, Cheryl got up and put on a kettle for tea and waited in the kitchen for it to boil while Carl pulled up the movie and pulled out his phone to order pizza for everyone. The kettle that Cheryl was watching whistled, and she poured the hot water into her cup with the tea bag, and she came back to the couch and checked on Myra.
“How are you feeling girlfriend,” asked Cheryl as she felt Myra’s forehead.
“A little bit sleepy. I think I’ll make it through the movie but then I think I’ll go to sleep,” said Myra.
“Well, you have had quite the day. I am glad you are doing okay; do you want to come over next to me and Carl and watch the movie or are you alright just sitting there on the loveseat,” asked Cheryl?
“Can we eat off the coffee table? I’d like to sit here on my own,” replied Myra.
“Not a problem. We can eat off the coffee table, no need to get up. I’ll grab you a blanket in case you just want to drift off to sleep while the movie is on. Carl, can I grab one for you,” asked Cheryl?
“I am actually good to go. The coffee is keeping me nice and happy. I will probably call it an early evening as well. The pizza should be here in about twenty minutes. Should we start the movie and pause it when the pizza gets here or should we wait,” asked Carl?
“Let’s just start it up and pause it when the pizza comes. I’ll grab Myra a blanket, are they in the bedroom,” asked Cheryl?
“Yeah, in the closet on the top shelf. You know what let me grab it because it may be too high for you to grab,” said Carl. Cheryl tried to protest but Carl got up quickly and was in the bedroom before she could say a word. He grabbed the blanket from the closet and draped it over Myra and kissed her forehead as he returned to the couch and the opening credits of the movie began.
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.
- Email: timothy@createartpodcast.com
- IG: @createartpodcast
- Twitter: @createartpod
- Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Podchaser
Overcast
Goodpods